Housing isn’t just about supply.
It’s about dignity, stability, and who gets to belong.

In this episode of Tune Up Your Warrior, I’m joined by Jason Burggraaf, Executive Director of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association, for a long-view conversation on what it actually takes to build housing systems that work.

We go beyond headlines to unpack:

• The policy levers that truly move affordability

• Why regulation must shift from blocker to enabler

• How innovation happens when certainty, speed, and trust align

• Why designing for belonging — including inclusive housing for seniors and marginalized communities — makes outcomes better for everyone

  
  

This isn’t about ideology.

It’s about building housing that ages well, supports community, and reflects the realities of the people who live here.

If you care about cities that work — now and 20 years from now — this conversation is for you.

To learn more about GOHBA and the work they do, visit https://www.gohba.ca/

Well-behaved women rarely make history.
And many of the women who changed history were never documented at all.

This episode of Tune Up Your Warrior features Renée de Sousa, co-founder of Toronto-based production company Space Pirates and creator of the French-language animated series Rebelles — a bold, fast-paced portrait of women changed the course of history.

Funded by the CMF and broadcast on TFO, Rebelles tells the stories of courageous Canadian women and their "FU moments" who challenged power, resisted assimilation, and reshaped our world — even when photos, records, or recognition barely existed. In some cases, there were only a handful of images. In others, none at all.

Rather than letting history disappear, Renée and her team made a deliberate choice: use emerging AI tools not to erase artists, but to restore visibility to women whose stories were nearly lost. Through painstaking experimentation, patience, and artistic intent, Rebelles uses AI as a bridge — filling gaps left by history while honoring truth, context, and creative integrity.

This conversation is also deeply personal for me. Tune Up Your Warrior was created because I was once told to “tone down” my voice after naming inequities that made people uncomfortable. But history doesn’t move forward through comfort. It moves when stories are told — especially the ones we tried to silence.

As this episode airs in alignment with International Women’s Day, it’s a reminder that when we stop talking about the past, we start taking progress for granted. And what we take for granted can disappear.

This episode is about courage, storytelling, and why the women who challenged power still matter — now more than ever.

Watch the Rebelles series here.

Happy World Engineering Day!

Have you ever wondered how strong communication and relationships—not just technical skills—are reshaping what great leadership looks like?

In this episode of Tune Up Your Warrior, I sit down with Daniel McCaulley, Founder and Principal of Ultimus Engineering, for a conversation that goes beyond blueprints and technical expertise.

Daniel shares his journey from oil and gas to entrepreneurship, the lessons he learned from burnout and growth, and why he believes the future of engineering—and leadership more broadly—depends on communication, trust, and culture. We explore how removing unnecessary layers can help organizations move with greater speed and integrity, why representation in engineering still matters, and how leaders can create environments where both people and performance thrive.

This episode also reflects on breaking stereotypes—about engineers, leadership styles, and who belongs in technical spaces—and invites listeners to rethink what strong leadership actually looks like in a rapidly evolving world.

If you’re a leader, builder, or someone interested in designing systems that work better for people and business, this conversation will resonate.

To find out more about Daniel and the work he does at Ultimus, visit https://ultimus.engineering/