Episodes
When we get a medical diagnosis for a loved one with memory challenges, the first question often asked is now what?Debbie Heitto is the First Link Care Navigator for the Alzheimer Society Serving Ottawa and Renfrew County. She is, most often, the first person you, or your loved ones, will see.She talks to us about knowledge being power and there is a lot to learn, from services to the path ahead.But, there is HOPE! With the right information and support the path can be easier. So grab a coffee and join us to talk about an important subject that will impact so many of us.
When Amy and Kimothy decided to do a weekly show on mental health, they jumped in with expert guests to learn about everything from menopause to dementia, sex to grief.But, on this episode, it's just them...They are talking about their own experiences and what lead them to this point. As children a lot of their "today" issues were cast in stone because of trauma, bullying and impossible body image expectations.Get to know your hosts, and real life besties, with a sincere chat about what they have learned from their own guests and each other.
On this episode, healing trauma with sound, safe places and connection with women. Kerry Reinhard of Resonant Bliss joins Amy and Kimothy to talk about abuse and sobriety, as well as healing with sound to release trauma.The practitioner, who practices what she preaches, helps women release pain deep in their bodies which is often, she says, the cost of being “the strong one”.Kerry takes us through the experience of sound therapy and the benefit of spending time within your own body…and getting back in touch with it.Kerry Reinhard Social Media:@resonantblissAmy Friesen Tea & ToastTeaandToast...
When Kimothy saw a post by Nicky Beauclaire on her Facebook page she just knew she had to invite her to be on the show. It was a raw invitation and so very brave.Nicky wrote that she had just been released from short-term psychiatric care and wanted to see if anyone wanted to have coffee with her. So, we did…on camera.The lonely plea for companionship was one Amy and Kimothy had not heard in their research on women’s mental health challenges.. Living on less than $1,100 a month (Canadian) on a disability cheque, Nicky has limited options to live and thrive.What happened next was a heartfelt...
On this episode we’re talking about the 1 in 3 families who will deal with dementia…and the cost to governments/taxpayers for not doing a better job at managing that!We have a world leader on this topic with us on this episode.Dr Saskia Sivananthan, based in Toronto, consults with senior health experts from around the world, offering the benefits of years of experience in the field. She even lived in a Long Term Care facility for a bit to see what was happening on the front line, and learned 85 per cent of people there had brain health challenges. 85 per cent!!She has worked with multiple h...
It’s “Back to School” season, and if you feel like you’re paying for things almost daily…you probably are! From school supplies to sports and lessons, it’s an expensive month.Add to that financial pressure another, almost daily, stress…the unknowns about the economy. It’s in the news constantly and planning for the impact is tough.To give you tips and tricks to survive this period of time, and not let it hurt your mental health, our regular contributor, Janet Gray, joins us. She is an advice-only financial advisor and has a practical approach to planning for the short-term by having your lo...
The Inner Shift Podcast’s resident expert on everything from profound grief and loss to self-esteem in girls returns to the show to talk about some really tough stuff. Margaret Dennis of EVOLV Coaching was exhausted when she arrived to the podcast after spending a week running a self-esteem summer camp for girls! We learn about how building up girls early on can set them up for success in relationships down the road….because they will learn to appreciate their own value and not to take any sh#t. How does that fit in? Armour against future abuse and trauma, including bullying.Margaret lost a...
MPP Lisa Macleod did the “unthinkable”. She talked about being a member of provincial (Ontario) parliament while having a mental health challenge.Diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, we’re going to talk today about how we SAY we support mental health – but do we really?? We need to do way more than “Let’s Talk”....let’s DO…Since leaving government, Lisa has travelled with something she’s going to talk about here…women and travel…which resonates with Kimothy strongly, as she travels full-time, for her own mental health.Lisa has been vocal and proud but dealt with a lot of sh+t because we TALK a...
You’ve likely tasted her work …if you’ve ever been to Equator Coffee….This entrepreneur, who bet the entire family on her vision, together with her husband – is an entrepreneur, cancer survivor and adventurer…and is living her life to the absolute fullest, despite some tough set-backs. Amber Hall is simply an inspiration, and just finished designing/building a house in Costa Rica, a long way from her first home in Canada.Amber is the model of the power of positivity and faith.She is wicked smart, but has, also,mastered developing a centred-life, sticking always to her core values, while pr...
At the heart of every storm, there can still be strength, and Elaine Lindsay is living proof.Elaine is a survivor, to be sure, but she is also an entrepreneur, and while she has tried to stay alive… at one time she didn’t want to do so.Elaine has suffered unimaginable grief, loss and medical complications after a horrific car crash. Her story will rock you….and if this triggers you we strongly encourage you to reach out for help, immediately. As Elaine will talk about, there is hope.The podcaster and social media expert talks about some really difficult stuff. Amy and Kimothy didn’t have mu...
Sue McGarvie is a sex educator…and while we’re having flashbacks to Grade 9 sex education class, it isn’t that!Sue has been a radio show host, entrepreneur, sex travel organizer and general champion for, well, sex.In the early 1990s, Kimothy met Sue – who was already on radio doing a series called “Sex in the 90s”...ya, Kim’s THAT old.The highlight of the tour of the “underground” was when Kimothy asked, “What is a ball gag? And, why would anyone want to be in a latex suit?” (she lived in suburbia….this was new to her). They also talked about how women don’t tell partners (mostly men) what ...
Dina Bell-Laroche is a death doula, educator, author and educator. So, on this episode, we talk about mental health as it pertains to losing a loved one…or about how to start saying goodbye to your person.Dina has spoken around North America on the topic, as it pertains to everything from workplace culture to intimate family dynamics. As a trained thanatologist (ya, we had to look up the word, too!), she has helped people transition to a place of peace around loss….whether it has already happened or is about to….She was motivated by the loss of her younger sister to cancer…who was the mom o...
On this episode, we go to Tennessee!Kesley Rogers is a counsellor with Denney Counselling who discovered, through the near loss of a friend, the difficulties facing farmers – and particularly multi-generational farming families.It was something Amy and Kimothy had literally, had never heard about, despite having farmers in their original families. This episode speaks to many things, including being the CEO of an expensive farm, family expectations, isolation, struggling economies, and living in unpredictable environments.Imagine watching for rain, something you cannot control, to predict yo...
On this week’s episode, we talk to Heather Desjardins, who talks about the whopping number of children who learn differently, and what that means to the family dynamic. This one hits pretty close to home for our hosts.“Work harder” isn’t going to cut it. Parents need to learn to work creatively. Your own mental health and that of your child DEPENDS on it!Learn tips and tricks to help you get there and help nurture a creative learner while keeping the family peace.Say goodbye to frustration and friction. And, welcome peace and growth after hearing from Heather.Also, it was shocking to hear t...
Nancy Morris is truly a pioneer…a champion for one of the most difficult subjects we have yet to discuss on the podcast…sibling sexual assault.The founder of #SiblingsToo is, herself, a survivor of sibling sexual assault. You might expect her to be outraged, livid….and wanting to exact revenge. Far from it. She spoke to us about understanding that we don’t tell children about what is or is, definitely not, acceptable behavior in the home.Around the world she has opened the door on this challenging subject and found out how shockingly common it is…. and how deeply people, often parents, push...
Well, if you were ever afraid for the younger generation, this show might give you faith.Meghan Strauss recently graduated from the University of Ottawa Health Sciences program and is about to enter naturopathic medicine.While she speaks openly about mental health in her age group, Amy and Kimothy found her to be one of the most enlightened people we’ve ever spoken with.That’s not to say her age group isn’t struggling. It is. But, her insight blew us away. In a time when our grandparents never spoke about such things, her age group is throwing a light into dark corners. Meghan gives TheInne...
Darpan Ahluwalia never enters a room without heads turning. She’s vivacious and a bit of a vixen who owns her space, and she takes no sh#t. Absolutely no sh#t.The certified Live Blood Analyst and registered nutritionist is also a herbalist homeopath and author of ‘The Context Eating Method for Women”.In Ottawa, Canada…Darpan is known as the “go to” for natural treatments and understands women’s bodies and what they need at every stage of life.She’s also an entrepreneur and mom and knows the art of juggling. On this show Amy and Darpan talk about health – while Kimothy was, ironically, sick ...
Jeez, Kimothy lost her sh#t while talking about sh#t on this podcast! We made her cry!! And Amy disclosed something she wasn’t sure she would do…until it happened. And Kimothy cried more….So, about our guest. Andrea Schade Douglas got “the diagnosis”. Breast cancer. What she did next was totally mind-blowing. She got better after a brutal path and dedicated her life to helping others.Andrea has coached women through the “what the phuck” stage and helped raise a ton of money for breast cancer research and treatment. She is raw, real, and resilient. Andrea raised a lot by getting back into th...
Canadian Olympian Andrea Schwartz Smith joins us to talk the sh#t out of sh#t….from being an elite athlete to a parent, entrepreneur and swim coach. As a woman, now in her “joyful years”, her perspective is vital when it comes to goals and reasonable expectations. Andrea has some very serious wisdom to share.What she learned, from the discipline of swimming, has kept her afloat in all areas of her life. We absorbed a lot from Andrea that when it comes to reasonable expectations and to just be #phucking kind to yourself.What we loved most is that she listens to her body and mind. If she need...
Janet Gray – Advice-Only Financial PlannerSHOW Title: Is the Economy Impacting Your Mental Health? You’re not alone!Summary:Financial uncertainty is brutal for our mental health. It’s one of those “big ones”...up there with death and divorce.This week, Amy and Kimothy talk to our resident expert on The Inner Shift Podcast, Janet Gray, about how this time in history can impact everything from our current housing situation to our retirement which, for some, could even be decades down the road. And then, there are the older kids who have so much financial stress that they are staying in the fa...
Mourning before a death. Loss before they leave. Endings before Beginnings.On this week's episode, just effing surviving before, during and after loss.Sometimes you lose someone before they die, like with dementia. Sometimes you're out of a relationship before you know, or well after you should have. The hardest, most would admit, is mourning a child you lost....and then, living to care for another.Today, we talk to a mother who lost a child and dedicated her life to helping others in anticipatory grief, real-time grief or living grief. Don't know the difference? Stay with us...grab a coff...
Guest:Kelly RileyAuthor, Coach and PodcasterBook: The Pivot PlaybookTitle: From Surviving to Thriving. Burnout to Bold.On this episode, Amy Friesen and Kimothy Walker talk to our guest, Kelly Riley, who has written The Pivot Playbook, and coaches people through the process one-on-one - if reading about it isn't enough. She also has a podcast of the same title.In full disclosure, Kelly is Kimothy's social media coach as Kim transitions to being a full-time digital nomad. Now, not everyone has to blow up their lives to pivot we learned...or travel across North America in an SUV. Ahem! There ...
Sam Laprade hears a LOT, "How do you do it?" The week of her recent book launch, Ottawa Made, she helped other organizations raise money and hosted other high profile events. The woman with many titles, author, entrepreneur, innovator, fundraiser, broadcaster and public speaker has two others, mom and daughter. And, she is an only child. Having already lost her Dad and raised a successful teenaged daughter, Sam is now the lead on her mom's long term care. For the first time since Kimothy has known her (a very long time) she's learning to say a polite, "no" when her to-do list is already ver...
Guest: Laurel GillespieCEO, Canadian Hospice Palliative Care AssociationOn this week's episode of The Inner Shift Podcast, Amy Friesen and Kimothy Walker talk to the CEO of the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association. It's a really heavy job for a woman who beat breast cancer, went back to university for her Masters degree in business administration (MBA) and left a very difficult marriage.Now, after all of that, Laurel Gillespie, is talking openly about burnout in women and how we need to embrace it, rather than feel shame for not keeping up. The mother of three jumped off the treadmi...
If you believe almost everything you hear, the economies of many nations are in real trouble. You know who else is? Us… the women who live in those nations.For those of us invested in “stuff” (that’s Kimothy’s technical term for it), the stress is real and impacts women more than men, simply based on a number of factors. It can range from the disparity related to single parenting or the enormous differences in leadership roles, so the decisions are out of your hands. Just look at the number of men on Fortune 500 boards versus women. Right?So what the phuck to do? First, Amy and Kimothy like...
Communications leader and athlete Susan Marsh-Marconi had it all…or so it seemed. A series of traumas impacted her life in a profound way but she’s still standing. She shares her story to help others because vulnerability, she says, is the key to her ability to cope. Reaching, teaching and preaching…she knows that we cannot pretend we’re okay!!This advocate and change maker was a sexual assault survivor in a case that made national headlines a long time ago. And, as if that wasn’t enough trauma for one lifetime, she got a call one day that her oldest child had been in a very serious car cra...
Feeling alone when your hormones hit the skids can be overwhelming and there is a LOT to learn. Why doesn’t someone get us all together to share what you’re thinking! Gee, you think, I wish Amy and Kimothy would do that show for us. Presto!! You’ve come to the right place. Our first guest does that on her own podcast based in the United Arab Emirates. Experienced Canadian journalist Ann Marie McQueen is a podcast expert with her multimedia platform Hotflash Inc., which focuses exclusively on information women need to get through the rollercoaster of life’s changes. Ann Marie and Kimothy do...
Canadians Kimothy Walker and Amy Friesen bonded over a shared “piss off”…one of those life-changing kind. We are not experts…but we know a lot of experts as we are professional communicators with a combined 50 years experience.If we don’t know, we seek them out because we have some really tough questions about why so many women rank their mental health as pretty damn poor. Ya know what helps? Finding your people!! Asking experts about every single subject we can think of…from menopause to grief and loss…to why we love our pets so much. The list is long.And we want your ideas! So….who the He...