Brad Ferguson spent years building an animation career most people would never walk away from. Emmy-winning shows. Directing for Disney. Showrunning over 180 episodes of animated television. Then he quit to teach kids how to draw in Barrie, Ontario.

In this conversation, Brad talks about getting rejected from Sheridan College twice before getting in on his third try, what it actually takes to work in animation, and why he believes anyone can learn to draw. He gets honest about the perfectionism he sees in young artists growing up on social media, why embracing mistakes is the whole point of the creative process, and how his childhood in the middle of nowhere shaped everything he makes today. He also shares how Upchuckle Education's student sponsorship program is making creative learning accessible to families in the community who wouldn't otherwise have access to it.

Brad Ferguson | Upchuckle Education

Website: https://upchuckle.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UpchuckleEducation/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upchuckleeducation/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@upchuckle.education

Who are we

Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment.

Follow Us

Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK

Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/

Chapters

0:00 Intro

0:30 From aspiring actor to animator

4:40 Leaving animation for teaching

9:05 The creative process and embracing mistakes

17:43 How animation actually works

23:28 Getting started with animation

30:04 Giving back to the community

Sport has a way of giving people something to hold onto. Michael Fredson is helping build an entire organization around that idea.

Michael is the owner of Manticore Books in Orillia and Chair of the Board of the Canadian Street Soccer Association, Canada's partner organization for the Homeless World Cup. In this conversation, he breaks down what it actually looks like to use soccer as a social tool, what the Homeless World Cup is and why it's unlike any other sporting event in the world, and what happened when Team Canada went to Oslo. The stories from that trip alone are worth the listen.

Michael Fredson

Website: https://manticorebooks.ca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ManticoreBooks/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manticorebooks/

Canadian Street Soccer Association

Website: https://canadianstreetsoccer.ca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Canadian-Street-Soccer-Association-61563800721692/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canadianstreetsoccer/

Who are we

Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment.

Follow Us

Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK

Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/

Chapters

0:00 Intro

0:29 The Canadian Street Soccer Association

6:28 The Power of Sport to Change Lives

9:46 Inside the Homeless World Cup

13:48 Team Canada at the Oslo Tournament

17:12 The Street Soccer Format

22:27 How to Get Involved

Angel Power was groomed by her father's friend, trafficked for nearly a decade, and told by everyone around her that she was safe. She wasn't. This is her story of survival, reclaiming her voice, and turning darkness into purpose.

In this episode of Behind the Village, Angel shares the reality of how human trafficking happens in ways most people don't expect. Not by force or at gunpoint, but through trust, unmet needs, and a system that failed her at every turn.

She talks about writing her way out of the pain, reframing survivor's guilt into survivor's responsibility, and why long-term support for survivors matters just as much as getting them out. If you've ever wondered what trafficking actually looks like in small-town Canada, this conversation will challenge everything you thought you knew.

Who are we

Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment.

Follow Us

Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK

Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/

Chapters

0:00 - Intro

0:32 - How Angel Was Groomed and Trafficked

9:40 - Escaping the Darkness

15:13 - Reclaiming Her Voice Through Writing

17:41 - Why Education and Awareness Matter

19:45 - Supporting Survivors Today

23:50 - Hopes for Systemic Change

27:18 - Outro