If you follow news, politics or pop culture in Alberta or Western Canada, the name Ryan Jespersen will be familiar to you. From working his way through mainstream TV and radio to creating his own independent media company, the host of Real Talk - Ryan Jespersen has seen a LOT. He also thrives on bringing together community and having tough conversations (and fun ones too). Ryan sits down with Sam and Lindsay to talk about the calculated risks and resilience it has taken to build a successful program. He also shares what its like being an entrepreneur, his philosophy on the biz and how to deal with haters. No politics -- but we get close.

Chapters

• 00:00 Navigating Career Transitions
• 02:58 Building a Media Venture
• 35:22 Transitioning to Independent Broadcasting
• 37:13 Dealing with Haters and Criticism
• 53:05 Advice for Aspiring Media Professionals

What's good, what's bad, what's worth it, what's not? The diet industry is back on its bullshit and with it comes a lot of confusing advice from people on the Internet. Sam and Lindsay sit down with Registered Dietician Brook Bulloch from Food to Fit Nutrition in Saskatoon to get the scoop on everything from health trends and hate for seeds oils, to where the Canada Food Guide actually came from, size bias and misconceptions around weight loss.

Chapters

• 03:01 The Role of Dietitians and Nutritionists
• 09:03 Childhood Nutrition and Health Trends
• 15:03 The History of the Food Guide and Social Determinants of Health
• 21:06 Body Positivity, Size Bias, and Health Misconceptions
• 25:37 Understanding Seed Oils
• 26:28 Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids
• 28:52 The Role of Omega-3 in the Body
• 34:08 GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Structured Eating
• 52:51 Protein Intake and Nutrition
• 55:18 Allergic Reactions and Potassium Levels
• 01:05:17 Menopause Transition and Supplements

Some people have THOSE lives, the ones that should be in a book or inspire a movie. Canadian author Danielle McKechnie has taken inspiration from her own life and fictionalized it into into a funny, cozy, spicy debut rom-com novel that comes out August 18. She joins Sam and Lindsay to talk about This Changes Everything and her own journey through theatre school in New York, the entertainment industry, and if she meant to name the main pro golfer in her book after Rory McIlroy.

You've watched the crime dramas, but what's it like to actually be a crime scene cleaner? Justin Addison can answer that question, the former crime scene cleaner in California has been sharing his stories under Gringo Furioso on social media. Justin tells Sam and Lindsay about his heroine addiction, his time in jail and the weird and wild things that crime scene cleaners are called to. And yes, he also shares his favourite cleaning products. Listener discretion is advised.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Background
• 02:20 Becoming a Crime Scene Cleaner
• 05:07 Handling the Job and Challenges
• 11:51 Childhood and Coping with Loss
• 13:44 Personal Remains and Sense of Humor
• 14:36 Incarceration and Legal System
• 34:45 Incarceration and Isolation
• 37:29 Prison Sentence and Personal Relationships
• 39:29 Life After Prison
• 45:07 Unfair Termination and Nonprofit Work
• 56:36 Content Creation and Personal Transformation
• 01:06:25 The Gruesome Reality of Crime Scene Cleaning
• 01:08:34 The Harsh Realities of the Job
• 01:11:09 The Intricacies of Crime Scene Investigation
• 01:20:00 The Hypotheticals of Crime and Justice
• 01:23:00 Lighter Moments and Personal Insights

You know him as the Sticks & Doodles guy, we know him as a friend and community champion. Kyle Moffat joins Sam and Lindsay on the pod to talk about why personalized gifts mean so much, the challenges of mental health and rewards of running a small business. Kyle also shares why his company culture is tops and some of truly bonkers shenanigans his customers have asked for and gotten up to with their gifts.

Chapters

• 00:00 The Importance of Visuals and Audience Engagement
• 04:06 Introducing Kyle and Sticks and Doodles
• 06:14 Childhood Stories and Personal Challenges
• 10:58 The Creation of Sticks and Doodles
• 14:09 Mental Health and Business Challenges
• 16:00 Acceptance and Generational Perspectives
• 20:33 Balancing Business Growth and Family Life
• 21:38 Emotional Impact of Sticks and Doodles Creations
• 21:58 Celebrating Everyone
• 24:11 The Wedding Guest Book Incident
• 26:01 Personalized Ornaments and Gifts
• 27:22 Limiting Product Offerings
• 28:49 Creating a Replica of Saskatchewan
• 30:32 Impact of Political and Economic Factors
• 31:46 Price of Wood and Tariffs
• 34:55 Support for Canadian Businesses
• 39:45 Future of the Business
• 40:58 Hiring and Company Culture
• 44:06 Gifting and Celebrating Special Moments

As we await the release of Practical Magic 2 in theatres in September and The Witches of Cambridge in book stores in October, Sam and Lindsay throw back to a conversation Sam had with Alice Hoffman about Practical Magic for her book club, The Novel Idea Society, back in October 2021. What is it about witches? We love a little hocus pocus.

Chapters

• 00:00 The Fascination with Magic and Witchcraft
• 01:00 Influence of Magic-themed Movies and Books
• 02:16 Excitement for Upcoming Releases
• 03:28 The Impact of Magic in Popular Culture
• 06:06 Interview with Alice Hoffman from October 2021

The internet can be a dark place, but there's a corner of social media where thousands of happy book lovers are gathering every day. More than 35,000 strong, BookTok Canada is growing exponentially. Rebecca Vrooman and Jessica Grandi join Sam and Lindsay to dish on the group, the amazing connections made across the country and of course get into book recommendations.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Book Talk
• 02:21 Reading Challenges and Community Engagement
• 05:07 Book Club Diversity and Engagement
• 24:20 Book Clubs and Reading Habits
• 37:44 Book-to-Movie Adaptations
• 49:19 Building a Book Community
• 50:22 The Joy of Book Clubs
• 53:05 Generosity and Book Gifting
• 01:09:23 Must-Read Book Recommendations

From the page to the stage -- Zarqa Nawaz is doing it live this fall -- but it's not the news. No, the brains behind the mega hit Little Mosque on the Prairie has written and is staring in the Globe Theatre's season opener this fall, called Mosque Heist. Always pushing the envelope, making people laugh and drawing attention to things that need it, Zarqa sits down with Sam and Lindsay to share how it happened and what performing in front of a live audience will be like this October.

Chapters

• 00:00 From TV to Theater
• 03:17 Navigating Comedy and Cultural Sensitivity
• 15:10 The Influence of Immigration on Population Growth
• 25:21 The Secret of Regina
• 33:51 Pop Culture and Representation
• 34:21 The Impact of Representation
• 36:06 We Are Lady Parts
• 37:04 Widows Bay
• 39:37 Romance Novels and Muslim Culture
• 41:25 Mosque Heist Cast and Crew
• 46:27 Theatrical Production and Arabic Elements
• 53:02 Zarqa's Fearless Pursuit of Projects
• 56:29 Pottery and Creative Pursuits
• 01:01:02 Premiere and Upcoming Shows