エピソード

  • Defang Your Fear: Rethinking Failure with Eric & Eli from Speaker Labs

    Defang Your Fear: Rethinking Failure with Eric & Eli from Speaker Labs
    2026/10/22
    Back in 2019, when we were colleagues (long before we were married!), we took a public speaking course with Eric Silverberg and Eli Gladstone, co-founders of Speaker Labs. To this day, we consider it the best corporate training we've ever experienced. And we've done a LOT of corporate training over the years.What we didn't realize at the time was just how much that experience would influence our lives and eventually play a part in the creation of Vienna Waits.Eric and Eli are best friends who went from teaching at Ivey Business School to working in tech before taking the leap to start Speaker Labs in 2016. Today, they help teams at organizations around the world become more confident and effective public speakers. But their approach goes well beyond presentation skills. As they put it, it's a life course disguised as a public speaking course.Seven years later, Greg sits down with Eric and Eli (sadly, Whitney couldn't make this one!) for a conversation about fear, failure, entrepreneurship, building something you genuinely love, and the courage it takes to give something a shot.In this episode, we talk about:Defanging failure: The difference between moment, message and major failures, and why understanding them can change how you approach risk.The way we talk to ourselves: Why becoming a better communicator starts with what's going on inside your own head.The Speaker Labs story: How two best friends turned their love of teaching and communication into a business.Building a great product: Why Eric and Eli believe an exceptional product should be at the heart of your business.Competition is a good thing: Why discovering that someone else is already doing your business idea might be exactly the validation you need.Following your enthusiasm: Why you don't need all the expertise figured out before pursuing something you're interested in.The fear of never trying: Why the thought of never giving something a shot can eventually become scarier than failing.The power of partnership: Why what strengthens and drains you matters more than simply having different skills, and how we can borrow courage from others.There's something pretty freeing about realizing that failure probably isn't nearly as scary as we've made it out to be. And that the bigger risk might be spending our lives wondering what would have happened if we'd just given something a shot.A HUGE thank you to Eric and Eli for this conversation and for the role they've played in our own journey.And yes, we're already planning a Round Two so Whitney can join the fun next time!EPISODE LINKS & REFERENCESSpeaker Labs: www.speakerlabs.caSpeaker Labs on LinkedIn: Follow Speaker LabsEric Silverberg: Connect on LinkedInEli Gladstone: Connect on LinkedInMartin Perelmuter, Co-Founder of Speakers Spotlight: Learn moreWe’d love to connect with you. Here’s where to find us: Vienna Waits WebsiteSubscribe to Vienna Five NewsletterUNBLOCK Yourself™ ProgramCorporate ProgrammingWaypoint RetreatVienna Waits on InstagramGreg’s LinkedIn Whitney’s LinkedIn On this podcast, we explore what it means to get UNBLOCKED.You’ll hear stories about finding clarity, navigating career pivots, and choosing to live with intention. Sometimes that’s through conversations with guests who made bold moves and changed direction. Other times it’s just the two of us unpacking the books, ideas, and lessons shaping our own journey.We’re not experts looking down from a stage. We’re in it too. Building, questioning, adjusting, and trying to create lives that feel more aligned, more alive, and more intentional.
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    46 分
  • Do Big Things. Stay Positive. Be F*cking Relentless.

    Do Big Things. Stay Positive. Be F*cking Relentless.
    2026/10/08

    We’re fresh off our second annual Waypoint Retreat, and for this episode, it’s just the two of us.


    While Waypoint is where the conversation starts, this isn’t really an episode about the retreat. We’re using it as a bit of a case study for what happens when you decide to do a big thing before you fully know how you’re going to pull it off.


    We get into three things:

    • Do big things. You don’t know what you’re doing until you’re doing it. Sometimes you just have to start and figure it out as you go.
    • Stay positive. Why is it so much easier to focus on the one thing that went wrong than everything that went right? We talk about our own struggle to stop, acknowledge the wins and give ourselves a high five.
    • Be f*cking relentless. Not by endlessly working harder, but by getting clear on what matters, saying no, asking for help, making the call and continuing to go after the thing you really want.


    Because doing big things is hard. You’re probably not going to feel completely ready. And you’re definitely not going to have it all figured out.

    So, what’s the thing in your life that deserves a little more relentlessness from you right now?


    Do the thing. And be f*cking relentless.


    EPISODE LINKS & REFERENCES

    Waypoint Retreat

    Whispering Springs

    Nancy Corcoran on The UNBLOCK Yourself Podcast


    We’d love to connect with you. Here’s where to find us:

    Vienna Waits Website

    Subscribe to Vienna Five Newsletter

    UNBLOCK Yourself™ Program

    Corporate Programming

    Waypoint Retreat

    Vienna Waits on Instagram

    Greg’s LinkedIn

    Whitney’s LinkedIn


    On this podcast, we explore what it means to get UNBLOCKED.


    You’ll hear stories about finding clarity, navigating career pivots, and choosing to live with intention. Sometimes that’s through conversations with guests who made bold moves and changed direction. Other times it’s just the two of us unpacking the books, ideas, and lessons shaping our own journey.

    

    We’re not experts looking down from a stage. We’re in it too. Building, questioning, adjusting, and trying to create lives that feel more aligned, more alive, and more intentional.
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    27 分
  • From Mabel’s Labels to Mentoring Founders with Tricia Mumby

    From Mabel’s Labels to Mentoring Founders with Tricia Mumby
    2026/09/24

    Tricia Mumby has spent more than 20 years building businesses, studying customers and figuring out what actually makes people buy.


    She co-founded Mabel’s Labels in 2003 with three friends, starting with one leased piece of equipment, a tiny budget and a simple idea: create labels that could actually survive kids, daycare, dishwashers and laundry.


    What started in a basement grew into an eight-figure direct-to-consumer business before being acquired in 2016.


    Today, Tricia works with founders and entrepreneurs, helping them sharpen their brands, understand their customers and, perhaps most importantly, stop overthinking and start moving.


    In this episode, we talk about:

    • The unlikely beginnings of Mabel’s Labels and what it took to turn a simple idea into an eight-figure business
    • Why partnership helped Tricia take the leap into entrepreneurship
    • What she’s learned from working with entrepreneurs and micro-business owners around the world
    • Why so many founders get stuck perfecting instead of launching, selling and learning
    • The importance of understanding your customer and communicating exactly why they should care
    • Why some businesses play it too safe with their brand, and how you can stand out
    • The lessons Tricia now shares with founders after more than 20 years of building, selling and mentoring businesses


    One of our favourite lines from the conversation:

    “You aren’t really in business until a stranger has coughed up a credit card.”


    Tricia is (always) direct, practical and refreshingly uninterested in making entrepreneurship sound more glamorous than it is. This conversation is packed with lessons for anyone trying to build something, launch something or finally stop fussing with it long enough to put it in front of real people.


    We hope you enjoy this conversation with Tricia Mumby.


    EPISODE LINKS & REFERENCES

    Tricia Mumby on LinkedIn

    Accelerator Centre

    Mabel’s Labels


    We’d love to connect with you. Here’s where to find us:

    Vienna Waits Website

    Subscribe to Vienna Five Newsletter

    UNBLOCK Yourself™ Program

    Corporate Programming

    Waypoint Retreat

    Vienna Waits on Instagram

    Greg’s LinkedIn

    Whitney’s LinkedIn


    On this podcast, we explore what it means to get UNBLOCKED.


    You’ll hear stories about finding clarity, navigating career pivots, and choosing to live with intention. Sometimes that’s through conversations with guests who made bold moves and changed direction. Other times it’s just the two of us unpacking the books, ideas, and lessons shaping our own journey.


    We’re not experts looking down from a stage. We’re in it too. Building, questioning, adjusting, and trying to create lives that feel more aligned, more alive, and more intentional.
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    48 分
  • Jim Moss on Reinvention, Trust and the Physics of Care

    Jim Moss on Reinvention, Trust and the Physics of Care
    2026/09/10
    Jim Moss spent more than a decade playing professional hockey and lacrosse, represented Team Canada, captained teams at nearly every level he played, and built much of his life and identity around being an athlete.In 2009, Jim developed Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune condition that attacked his nervous system. His athletic career came to an abrupt end, and he found himself facing a very different kind of challenge: recovering physically while figuring out who he was without sport at the centre of his life.During his time in the hospital and rehab, Jim started noticing something.The mood of the people caring for him mattered. The way they interacted with each other mattered. And the gratitude and care he showed them seemed to change the experience for everyone involved.That curiosity eventually led Jim back to university and into the study of happiness, workplace well-being and culture. He went on to build Plasticity alongside his wife, Jennifer Moss, and today his work has led him somewhere new: exploring what he calls the physics of care.At the heart of Jim’s thinking is a simple idea: care isn’t just something that feels good. It builds trust, changes how willing we are to take risks with one another, and can create real value in our relationships, communities and businesses.In this episode, we talk about:• Jim’s career playing professional hockey and lacrosse• Representing Team Canada and returning to coaching• Developing Guillain-Barré syndrome and having to rebuild his life• Losing the identity that came with being an athlete• The unexpected role gratitude played in his recovery• Building Plasticity Labs with his wife, Jennifer Moss• What Jim learned studying happiness, workplace culture and well-being• Why trust matters so much in healthy communities• Transactional trust vs. relational trust• Jim’s idea of the physics of care• The three Cs: caring, careful and careless• Why care can be a competitive advantage in business• How small moments of carelessness can create much bigger problems• Why, once you start looking for care, you begin to see it everywhereJim will also be joining us at Waypoint Retreat this September for a session called The Entrepreneur’s Edge: How Care Can Be Your Competitive Advantage, where we’ll get to take these ideas even further.This conversation gave us a whole new language for something we’ve always believed: the little things really are the big things. And maybe the reason they matter so much is actually pretty simple.Because they show people we care.EPISODE LINKS & REFERENCESJim Moss: The SMILE CEO Jim Moss on InstagramJim Moss on LinkedInWe’d love to connect with you. Here’s where to find us: Vienna Waits WebsiteSubscribe to Vienna Five NewsletterUNBLOCK Yourself™ ProgramCorporate ProgrammingWaypoint RetreatVienna Waits on InstagramGreg’s LinkedIn Whitney’s LinkedIn On this podcast, we explore what it means to get UNBLOCKED.You’ll hear stories about finding clarity, navigating career pivots, and choosing to live with intention. Sometimes that’s through conversations with guests who made bold moves and changed direction. Other times it’s just the two of us unpacking the books, ideas, and lessons shaping our own journey.We’re not experts looking down from a stage. We’re in it too. Building, questioning, adjusting, and trying to create lives that feel more aligned, more alive, and more intentional.
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    1 時間
  • Lessons From What To Make Of A Life by Jim Collins

    Lessons From What To Make Of A Life by Jim Collins
    2026/08/27
    If you’ve listened to the podcast lately, you’ve probably heard us mention What to Make of a Life by Jim Collins.We’ve talked about this book A LOT. Or, more accurately, Greg has talked about this book a lot. So we figured it was finally time to dedicate an episode to it.In this conversation, we unpack three of the biggest ideas from the book: cliffs, fog, and encodings.We start with cliffs. The moments in life that change the direction you were heading. A career change, a loss, retirement, a move, or something completely unexpected. Some cliffs we see coming and others we don’t, but they create a before and after in our lives.Then comes fog. That uncertain period after a cliff when the life you knew has changed, but you haven’t quite figured out what comes next. We talk about why fog is a natural part of change and why some periods of it last much longer than others.But the idea we spend the most time on is encodings.Collins describes encodings as the unique combination of natural gifts, capabilities, and attributes we’re each born with. When the way we’re living allows us to use those encodings, we’re “in frame.” We feel energized, engaged, and more like ourselves. When we spend too much of our lives outside of them, we can start to languish.We also get into:why being good at something doesn’t necessarily mean you’re encoded for itwhy your encodings can only really be discovered through action and trying new thingswhat it means to be “in frame” versus “out of frame”how the frame around our lives changes, even when our encodings don’tthe idea of “flipping the arrow of money”and how understanding what energizes you can help you build a life with more of itThis isn’t about quitting your job, blowing up your life, or turning everything you love into a career. It’s about understanding yourself a little better and asking whether the life you’re building gives you enough opportunities to use the things that are already inside you.There’s a reason this book keeps finding its way into our conversations.We hope you enjoy this one.EPISODE LINKS & REFERENCESWhat to Make of a Life by Jim CollinsJim Collins — Official WebsiteDesigning Your Life by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans“There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing” by Adam GrantWe’d love to connect with you. Here’s where to find us: Vienna Waits WebsiteSubscribe to Vienna Five NewsletterUNBLOCK Yourself™ ProgramCorporate ProgrammingWaypoint RetreatVienna Waits on InstagramGreg’s LinkedIn Whitney’s LinkedIn On this podcast, we explore what it means to get UNBLOCKED.You’ll hear stories about finding clarity, navigating career pivots, and choosing to live with intention. Sometimes that’s through conversations with guests who made bold moves and changed direction. Other times it’s just the two of us unpacking the books, ideas, and lessons shaping our own journey.We’re not experts looking down from a stage. We’re in it too. Building, questioning, adjusting, and trying to create lives that feel more aligned, more alive, and more intentional.
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    34 分
  • Luke Anderson on Mountain Biking, Choice and Building an Accessible World

    Luke Anderson on Mountain Biking, Choice and Building an Accessible World
    2026/08/13

    Long before he was the co-founder of StopGap, Luke Anderson was the guy at Boyd Sports blasting Nirvana from the back of the shop, the cool older employee at the store owned by Greg’s dad, and someone who inspired a young Greg to get on a mountain bike in the first place.

    This episode is as much a reunion as it is an interview.


    In 2011, that choice helped lead to the creation of StopGap, an organization that builds brightly coloured ramps and raises awareness about the importance of accessibility. What started with 13 business owners in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood has since grown into a movement reaching communities all over Canada.


    This is a conversation about resilience, choice, accessibility, and what can happen when we take the hardest parts of our story and use them to make things better for someone else.


    In this episode, we talk about:

    • Growing up in Stouffville and working at Boyd Sports

    • Studying civil engineering and falling in love with the West Coast

    • The 2002 mountain biking crash that led to Luke’s spinal cord injury

    • Grief, loss, and learning to navigate a very different way of life

    • Hitting literal barriers as a wheelchair user in downtown Toronto

    • Co-founding StopGap with Michael Hopkins in 2011

    • Why accessible design benefits everyone

    • Choosing action over frustration

    • Meeting Rampman, StopGap’s colourful mascot

    • How to get involved with StopGap’s mission


    We laughed, we got emotional, and we walked away with a whole new appreciation for how much of our world still isn’t built with everyone in mind, and how much can happen when one person decides to do something about it.


    EPISODE LINKS & REFERENCES

    StopGap Website

    StopGap on Instagram

    StopGap on Facebook

    StopGap (and Rampman!) on Youtube

    Donate to StopGap

    Luke Anderson on LinkedIn


    We’d love to connect with you. Here’s where to find us:

    Vienna Waits Website

    Subscribe to Vienna Five Newsletter

    UNBLOCK Yourself™ Program

    Corporate Programming

    Waypoint Retreat

    Vienna Waits on Instagram

    Greg’s LinkedIn

    Whitney’s LinkedIn


    On this podcast, we explore what it means to get UNBLOCKED.


    You’ll hear stories about finding clarity, navigating career pivots, and choosing to live with intention. Sometimes that’s through conversations with guests who made bold moves and changed direction. Other times it’s just the two of us unpacking the books, ideas, and lessons shaping our own journey.

    We’re not experts looking down from a stage. We’re in it too. Building, questioning, adjusting, and trying to create lives that feel more aligned, more alive, and more intentional.
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    59 分
  • Nancy Corcoran: Building Whispering Springs and Turning Pain Into Purpose

    Nancy Corcoran: Building Whispering Springs and Turning Pain Into Purpose
    2026/07/30
    Nancy Corcoran has never been afraid to chase an adventure.Years ago, she and her husband John sold their dream home, bought a sailboat, and spent the next twelve years splitting their time between the Bahamas and a 200-acre property in rural Ontario. That property would eventually become Whispering Springs Wilderness Retreat, one of Canada's most unique glamping destinations and the place where we now host our annual Waypoint Retreat.But this conversation is about much more than building a beautiful business.Nancy shares the heartbreaking story of her granddaughter, Ayla, who suffered a severe brain injury at birth, forever changing the course of their family's life. Rather than allowing tragedy to define them, Nancy and their family have dedicated themselves to creating hope for other families through Camp Moonlight, the We Love Joy Foundation, and Ask Ayla—the world's first AI companion built from the lived experience of raising a child with cerebral palsy.It's a conversation about adventure, entrepreneurship, grief, resilience, advocacy, and the incredible things that can happen when you choose to turn pain into purpose.In this episode, we discuss:Why Nancy and John sold everything to buy a sailboat and chase adventureThe story behind building Whispering Springs Wilderness RetreatCreating spaces that help people disconnect, reconnect, and slow downWhy entrepreneurs often need to trust intuition more than certaintyThe life-changing birth of Nancy's granddaughter, AylaWhat it's really like for families navigating a birth injury and cerebral palsy diagnosisHow Camp Moonlight is creating community for families raising children with disabilitiesThe We Love Joy Foundation and its mission to spread kindness, empathy, and inclusionThe creation of Ask Ayla, the world's first AI companion built from lived experienceHow AI can transform caregiving and support families around the worldWhy Nancy believes our greatest pain can become our greatest purposeThe importance of creating a more compassionate and inclusive world for children with disabilitiesEnjoy this conversation with Nancy Corcoran. EPISODE LINKS & REFERENCESWhispering Springs Glamping ResortWe Love Joy FoundationAsk Ayla Camp MoonlightBook: I’m Who I’m Meant To BeWaypoint RetreatWe’d love to connect with you. Here’s where to find us: Vienna Waits WebsiteSubscribe to Vienna Five NewsletterUNBLOCK Yourself™ ProgramCorporate ProgrammingWaypoint RetreatVienna Waits on InstagramGreg’s LinkedIn Whitney’s LinkedIn On this podcast, we explore what it means to get UNBLOCKED.You’ll hear stories about finding clarity, navigating career pivots, and choosing to live with intention. Sometimes that’s through conversations with guests who made bold moves and changed direction. Other times it’s just the two of us unpacking the books, ideas, and lessons shaping our own journey.We’re not experts looking down from a stage. We’re in it too. Building, questioning, adjusting, and trying to create lives that feel more aligned, more alive, and more intentional.During the conversation, Nancy referenced a statistic that may sound like "1 in 4 births." The correct statistic is 1 in 400 births.
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    50 分
  • Brie Pointer on Joy, Grief & Living in Colour

    Brie Pointer on Joy, Grief & Living in Colour
    2026/07/16
    Brie Pointer is one of those people who lights up every room she walks into.She's an independent designer, illustrator, farmer, and community builder living in the Waterloo Region. She's also one of the most authentically joyful people we've ever met.At first glance, this conversation starts with colour. Why Brie wears it. Why it matters. And why embracing who you truly are can give other people permission to do the same.But as the conversation unfolds, we discover that her colourful spirit wasn't something that came easily.After losing both of her parents less than two years apart, Brie found herself navigating unimaginable grief while raising two young daughters, running a business, farming, and trying to rediscover herself. She shares, with incredible honesty, how she slowly found her way back to joy, why community became more important than ever, and what she's learned about living intentionally when life doesn't go according to plan.Brie has a contagious energy that's impossible not to be drawn to, but what makes her truly remarkable is her ability to hold both joy and grief at the same time. This is a conversation about authenticity, resilience, finding your people, and discovering that sometimes the brightest colours come after the darkest seasons.In this episode, we talk about:Why colour became such an important part of Brie's lifeFinding authenticity in business and personal brandingWhy confidence comes from embracing who you already areThe role community plays in navigating life's hardest seasonsLosing both of her parents in less than two yearsHow grief changed her perspective on relationships and lifeLearning to choose joy again, one small step at a timeWhy vulnerability creates deeper human connectionThe importance of reflection and spending time with yourselfWhat to do when you feel stuck or disconnected from who you areWe laughed, we cried, and we left reminded that life isn't about avoiding the hard seasons. It's about finding the courage to keep showing up, keep loving people well, and maybe even adding a little more colour along the way.This episode is lovingly dedicated to Brie's parents, Brian and Marion (Gail) Pointer, whose love, kindness, and legacy continue to shine through Brie every single day.EPISODE LINKS & REFERENCESBrie Pointer WebsiteBrie Pointer on InstagramWayward Farm WebsiteWayward Farm on InstagramBuy Wayward Roaster CoffeeWayward Roaster on InstagramThe Three WellnessDen 1880We’d love to connect with you. Here’s where to find us: Vienna Waits WebsiteSubscribe to Vienna Five NewsletterUNBLOCK Yourself™ ProgramCorporate ProgrammingWaypoint RetreatVienna Waits on InstagramGreg’s LinkedIn Whitney’s LinkedIn On this podcast, we explore what it means to get UNBLOCKED.You’ll hear stories about finding clarity, navigating career pivots, and choosing to live with intention. Sometimes that’s through conversations with guests who made bold moves and changed direction. Other times it’s just the two of us unpacking the books, ideas, and lessons shaping our own journey.We’re not experts looking down from a stage. We’re in it too. Building, questioning, adjusting, and trying to create lives that feel more aligned, more alive, and more intentional.
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    53 分