On Season 3, Episode 5 of What's The Tea with Sarah E, I sit down with Danielle Zucchet, CEO of Kemp Care Network, fundraiser, leader, mother, and the visionary helping bring Keaton's House to life - the first dedicated pediatric hospice serving Hamilton, Halton, Niagara, Brant, and surrounding communities.

Danielle's journey wasn't one she ever imagined.

After losing her son, Keaton, in 2010, she found herself searching for purpose amidst unimaginable grief. While attending a grief and bereavement seminar hosted by Kemp Care Network, she learned about the enormous gap in pediatric hospice care... and everything changed. What began as a career in fundraising evolved into a calling to help build something that families across our region have deserved for decades.

Today, Danielle is leading a transformational $25 million capital campaign to build Keaton's House - a home-like pediatric hospice that will provide respite care, pain and symptom management, grief and bereavement support, and end-of-life care for children and their families. With more than $14 million already raised, this dream is becoming a reality, with doors expected to open in 2027.

In this deeply moving conversation, Danielle spills the tea on:

• The life-changing loss that transformed her purpose and career
• The heartbreaking gap in pediatric hospice care and why families deserve better
• The vision behind Keaton's House and how it will redefine care for seriously ill children and their loved ones
• Leading one of the region's largest capital campaigns and the lessons she's learned along the way
• Building a team, embracing community, and why "it takes a village" isn't just a saying—it's the strategy
• The importance of creating spaces where families can simply be together, make memories, and feel at home—even during life's most difficult moments

Danielle also shares the story of Keaton - the joyful little boy who loved to dance, made everyone laugh, and continues to inspire a legacy of compassion that will impact generations of families. Through Keaton's House, his light will continue to shine in every family who walks through its doors.

This episode is about resilience, purpose, courageous leadership, and the extraordinary things that happen when a community comes together to build hope.

Season 3 – Episode 5 — More Than a Building is streaming now on What's The Tea with Sarah E.

Connect with Kemp Care Network at kempcarenetwork.org and learn more about Keaton's House at kempcarenetwork.org/capital-campaign/

Follow Kemp Care Network on Instagram @kempcarenetwork and Facebook to stay connected with the campaign and upcoming community initiatives.

That’s today’s tea! If you loved this conversation, don’t forget to rate, review, and share the show with a friend.

Join the Tea Party! New episodes drop every second Tuesday, so hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcast app. And for the latest episodes, behind-the-scenes clips, and even more bold conversations, follow me on Instagram at @sara_ernest.

A Reminder - The views and opinions expressed by guests on What’s the Tea with Sarah E are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host. This podcast is a platform for diverse voices, stories, and perspectives - sometimes unpolished, always unapologetic.

Until next time, keep stirring the pot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Season 3, Episode 4 of What's The Tea with Sarah E, I sit down with Abrar Mechmechia, Syrian-Canadian refugee, mental health advocate, and Founder & CEO of ABRAR Trauma & Mental Health Services.

Abrar's story begins in Syria, where she spent her childhood surrounded by family, community, creativity, and dreams of one day pursuing medicine like her father. But life had other plans. After witnessing the devastating impacts of war and eventually fleeing Syria, Abrar arrived in Canada carrying not only her own trauma - but a deep desire to help others heal.

What she discovered upon arrival was something she never expected: a system that often lacked the cultural understanding, compassion, and support newcomers desperately needed. Rather than allowing those experiences to define her, Abrar transformed them into purpose. In 2020, she founded ABRAR Trauma & Mental Health Services, creating culturally responsive, community-led mental health supports for newcomers, immigrants, refugees, women, and youth.

In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Abrar spills the tea on:

• Growing up in Syria and the values that shaped her leadership
• The realities of displacement, migration, and rebuilding a life in a new country
• Why lived experience matters in mental health care
• The gaps she encountered as a newcomer and how they inspired the creation of ABRAR
• Building culturally safe spaces where people feel seen, heard, and understood
• The launch of ABRAR's first-ever public fundraising initiative, Healing Happens Here
• The importance of dignity, representation, and belonging in mental health support
• Responding to the tragic loss of Nabil and creating long-term solutions that center youth voices and community healing
• What it means to advocate for uncomfortable truths, even when it comes at a personal cost

Abrar also shares a powerful perspective on trauma: that people are more than their diagnoses, their circumstances, or the hardships they have endured. Healing happens when people are treated as whole human beings - with culture, identity, history, and hope.

At the heart of this episode is a simple but profound message: Healing doesn't happen in isolation. Healing happens in community.

This episode is a conversation about resilience, belonging, courage, and what becomes possible when people choose compassion over judgment and action over indifference.

Season 3 – Episode 4 - Healing Happens Here is streaming now on What's The Tea with Sarah E.

Learn more about Abrar, ABRAR Trauma & Mental Health and the Healing Happens Here campaign at abrarmh.ca or find them on Instagram at @abrar.tmh and @abrar_mechmechia.

That’s today’s tea! If you loved this conversation, don’t forget to rate, review, and share the show with a friend.

Join the Tea Party! New episodes drop every second Tuesday, so hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcast app. And for the latest episodes, behind-the-scenes clips, and even more bold conversations, follow me on Instagram at @sara_ernest.

A Reminder - The views and opinions expressed by guests on What’s the Tea with Sarah E are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host. This podcast is a platform for diverse voices, stories, and perspectives - sometimes unpolished, always unapologetic.

Until next time, keep stirring the pot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Season 3, Episode 3 of What’s The Tea with Sarah E, I sit down with Laurie Macintyre, Executive Director of Jaycee Homes, housing advocate, community builder, and a leader who is proving that affordable housing is about so much more than bricks and mortar.

Laurie’s journey into housing was anything but planned. What began with a leap into property management evolved into a mission-driven career focused on creating safe, stable, and dignified housing for those who need it most. Today, she is leading one of the most significant projects in Jaycee Homes’ history - a new 24-unit affordable housing development for women and women-led families fleeing violence, set to open in 2026.

In this thoughtful, honest, and inspiring conversation, Laurie spills the tea on:

• Why stable housing is one of the most important determinants of health and success
• The surprising path that led her into socialprofit leadership and leading organization through its first-ever capital campaign
• What authentic leadership really looks like and why being yourself is your greatest advantage
• Learning to say no, set boundaries, and lead with intention
• The importance of board engagement, collaboration, and collective impact

Laurie also shares her belief that leadership isn't about titles or status - it's about showing up with integrity, building relationships, and leaving things better than you found them. Her perspective on housing, social impact, and community-building offers a powerful reminder that every person deserves a safe place to call home.

Beyond housing, we explore the future of the social profit sector, the importance of measuring impact, and why communities must come together to tackle complex challenges that no organization can solve alone.

At the heart of this episode is a simple but profound truth: Housing changes everything.

Season 3 Episode 3 - Building More Than Homes is streaming now on What’s The Tea with Sarah E.

Learn more about Jaycee Homes and their affordable housing initiatives at https://jayceehomes.ca/

That’s today’s tea! If you loved this conversation, don’t forget to rate, review, and share the show with a friend.

Join the Tea Party! New episodes drop every second Tuesday, so hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcast app. And for the latest episodes, behind-the-scenes clips, and even more bold conversations, follow me on Instagram at @sara_ernest.

A Reminder - The views and opinions expressed by guests on What’s the Tea with Sarah E are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host. This podcast is a platform for diverse voices, stories, and perspectives - sometimes unpolished, always unapologetic.

Until next time, keep stirring the pot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To continue Season 3 of What’s The Tea with Sarah E, I sit down with the vibrant and deeply soulful Marisa Mariella - culinary creator, educator, storyteller, and the heart behind Marisa’s Easy Kitchen.

More than a cook, Marisa is a passionate believer in the power of food to connect people, preserve culture, support mental wellness, and create community. Raised in an Italian-Canadian household by immigrant parents from Calabria, Italy, Marisa grew up understanding that food was never just food - it was love, identity, resilience, and deep care.

In this warm, heartfelt, and inspiring conversation, Marisa spills the tea on:

• Growing up in a home where food, faith, family, and friends were everything
• The lessons she learned from her mother about creating abundance from very little
• Why respecting food (and not wasting it) became a lifelong value
• Her 30-year career as a teacher and guidance counsellor and how that work shaped her purpose
• Creating the iMatter teen mental health and suicide prevention program
• Overcoming self-doubt to launch a television show and step into entrepreneurship later in life
• Building a business rooted in authenticity, culture, and connection
• Why she refuses to dim her light to make others comfortable

Marisa also reflects on the deeper meaning behind gathering around a table - and why she wants every person who experiences her food to feel loved, accepted, and at home. (I can now say that I've experienced this thanks to the homemade biscotti delivery!)

At the heart of this episode is a beautiful reminder: Food feeds more than hunger - it feeds connection, healing, memory, and community. This episode feels like sitting at the kitchen table with a glass of wine, a plate of pasta, and someone who reminds you what really matters.

Season 3 – Episode 2 is streaming now on What’s The Tea with Sarah E. Connect with Marisa Mariella online at https://marisamariella.com and on Instagram @marisamariella for Marisa’s Easy Kitchen for recipes, events, culture, and community storytelling.

That’s today’s tea! If you loved this conversation, don’t forget to rate, review, and share the show with a friend.

Join the Tea Party! New episodes drop every second Tuesday, so hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcast app. And for the latest episodes, behind-the-scenes clips, and even more bold conversations, follow me on Instagram at @sara_ernest.

A Reminder - The views and opinions expressed by guests on What’s the Tea with Sarah E are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host. This podcast is a platform for diverse voices, stories, and perspectives - sometimes unpolished, always unapologetic.

Until next time, keep stirring the pot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To kick off Season 3 of What’s The Tea with Sarah E, I sit down with the vibrant, fearless, and wildly authentic Jacqui Childs - entrepreneur, best-selling author, influencer, ghostwriter, and mental health advocate who has spent over a decade building a platform rooted in truth, vulnerability, and unapologetic self-expression.

With more than 2.5 million followers across social media, Jacqui has seen the highs and lows of influence - but behind the curated feeds is a story of survival, reinvention, and radical honesty.

From living on her own at 15, to navigating early motherhood, to stripping on 8-Mile in Detroit and Naked News, to becoming a media personality, advocate and creator - Jacqui’s journey is anything but conventional. This Hells Angel in Heels wouldn't have it any other way!

In this raw, bold, and deeply human conversation, Jacqui spills the tea on:

• Growing up in survival mode and how her first son changed the trajectory of her life
• Her bipolar diagnosis and why she sees it as her superpower, not a limitation
• The decision to stop medication and fully experience life - the highs and the lows
• Why women struggle to take up space and the data-backed reality of how differently men and women are received online
• Turning 40 and stepping into a new level of confidence, power, and self-acceptance
• Navigating judgment, hate, and criticism - especially from other women
• Why she continues to show up boldly, even when she knows she won’t be for everyone

Jacqui also shares deeply personal reflections on relationships, motherhood, identity, and what it means to be truly seen - not just online, but in real life. At the heart of this episode is a powerful truth: You don’t have to be palatable to be powerful.

This conversation is messy, honest, funny, and at times confronting - a reminder that the most powerful thing you can be is fully yourself.🎙 Season 3 – Episode 1 is streaming now on What’s The Tea with Sarah E.

Connect with Jacqui on Instagram at @jacquichilds or @childs.jacqui or search Jacqui Childs on Facebook or LinkedIn.

That’s today’s tea! If you loved this conversation, don’t forget to rate, review, and share the show with a friend.

Join the Tea Party! New episodes drop every second Tuesday, so hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcast app. And for the latest episodes, behind-the-scenes clips, and even more bold conversations, follow me on Instagram at @sara_ernest.

A Reminder - The views and opinions expressed by guests on What’s the Tea with Sarah E are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host. This podcast is a platform for diverse voices, stories, and perspectives - sometimes unpolished, always unapologetic.

Until next time, keep stirring the pot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To close out this episode of What’s The Tea with Sarah E, I sit down with Daniel Guest, Visionary and President of Guest Plumbing & HVAC - one of Hamilton’s fastest-growing companies and a powerful example of what it means to build success from the ground up.

Daniel’s journey didn’t start with a polished business plan or a clear path to entrepreneurship. In fact, when he first chose the trades over university, he was considered the “black sheep” of the family. But what began as labor work and an apprenticeship quickly turned into a career that would shape not only his life - but the future of an entire industry.

Daniel built Guest Plumbing & HVAC into a thriving company with 40 staff across Hamilton and Toronto, proving that the trades are not just jobs... they are pathways to leadership, entrepreneurship, and long-term impact.

In this honest and insightful conversation, Daniel spills the tea on:

• Why choosing the trades changed the trajectory of his life
• The mentors who shaped him and why mentorship is everything
• The hardest moments of growth - from lawsuits to navigating COVID
• What he had to unlearn to become a better leader
• The realities facing the trades industry and the misconceptions that still exist
• Why women can and should thrive in the trades
• The origin story behind Tradesmart College, his mission to bridge the gap between students and real careers in the trades, and more!

Daniel also shares a powerful truth he learned the hard way: “Nobody cares what people think of you as much as you think they do.” Instead of shrinking to fit expectations, Daniel chose to build his life and his business - unapologetically.

This episode is a conversation about grit, mentorship, leadership, and redefining what success looks like in industries that quite literally build our world.

Season 2 – Episode 10 of What’s The Tea with Sarah E is streaming now.

Learn more about Dan Guest and his podcast on Instagram and online at guestplumbing.com. Explore the good work of Trade Smart College and pathways into the trades at tradesmartcollege.com

That’s today’s tea! If you loved this conversation, don’t forget to rate, review, and share the show with a friend.

Join the Tea Party! New episodes drop every second Tuesday, so hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcast app. And for the latest episodes, behind-the-scenes clips, and even more bold conversations, follow me on Instagram at @sara_ernest.

A Reminder - The views and opinions expressed by guests on What’s the Tea with Sarah E are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host. This podcast is a platform for diverse voices, stories, and perspectives - sometimes unpolished, always unapologetic.

Until next time, keep stirring the pot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To kick off this powerful episode of What’s The Tea with Sarah E, I sit down with award-winning Hamilton-based author Anuja Varghese - a literary force whose work centers women of color, queer characters, and stories that challenge who gets to be the hero!

Anuja is the author of the Governor General’s Literary Award-winning short story collection Chrysalis, and her highly anticipated romantasy novel A Kiss of Crimson Ash releases May 26, 2026. But beyond the awards and accolades, Anuja is a storyteller committed to making sure people like her - and people like so many of us - see ourselves reflected back with power, desire, and complexity.

In this bold, layered conversation, Anuja spills the tea on:

• Growing up without seeing herself in the books she loved - and choosing to change that
• What it cost (and liberated) her to write openly as a queer feminist woman of color
• Why romance and erotica are not “fluff”... but resistance
• Building a medieval India-inspired fantasy world after being told her character “didn’t fit”
• Balancing midnight writing sessions with motherhood and a full-time role in the social profit sector
• How grant writing is storytelling and why funders need to trust the people on the ground (hello trust-based philanthropy!)
• Protecting the dream of being a writer in a world obsessed with security

Anuja speaks candidly about choosing authenticity over palatability - and the overwhelming response from readers who finally felt seen. When asked what she hopes her work gives people, her answer was simple and profound, “I hope they feel seen. And maybe a little turned on.”

This episode is a love letter to representation, creative courage, and the audacity to build worlds where you belong.

🎙 Season 2 – Episode 9 is streaming now on What’s The Tea with Sarah E.

Connect with Anuja on Instagram @anuja_v and learn more about her books, upcoming novel release, and events at anujavarghese.com. Pre-order A Kiss of Crimson Ash wherever books are sold.

That’s today’s tea! If you loved this conversation, don’t forget to rate, review, and share the show with a friend.

Join the Tea Party! New episodes drop every second Tuesday, so hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcast app. And for the latest episodes, behind-the-scenes clips, and even more bold conversations, follow me on Instagram at @sara_ernest.

A Reminder - The views and opinions expressed by guests on What’s the Tea with Sarah E are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host. This podcast is a platform for diverse voices, stories, and perspectives - sometimes unpolished, always unapologetic.

Until next time, keep stirring the pot.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.