Season Three of Tune Up Your Warrior kicks off with a conversation that feels both timely and deeply personal.

My guest is Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, a lifelong Ottawan and the leader of Canada’s capital at a moment of real change and opportunity.

Before entering municipal politics, Mayor Sutcliffe spent more than three decades as an award-winning journalist, entrepreneur, mentor, and community builder. He covered public life, built and led businesses, advised leaders across sectors, and served on boards that shape Ottawa’s social, cultural, and economic fabric.

Today, he brings that experience to city leadership with a focus on collaboration, clarity, and long-term impact. From accelerating housing supply and advancing the goal of ending youth homelessness by 2030, to working across levels of government to reduce barriers and modernize how cities operate, his approach centers on moving from arbitrary “no” to thoughtful “how.”

In this episode, we talk about:
• Leading through complexity when change takes time
• Why cross-sector collaboration matters more than ever
• Building trust in moments of uncertainty
• What it means to plan for the next generation, not just the next headline

This is a conversation about leadership that makes things make sense. About collaboration over criticism. And about building a future-ready city that reflects the people shaping it.

Whether you care about housing, community, leadership, or the future of cities, this episode invites you to listen, reflect, and stay curious about what’s possible when progress is grounded in people.

You can learn more about all the great work Mayor Sutcliffe is doing here: https://marksutcliffe.ca/