Gail McDonald takes listeners inside one of her favourite personal-development books of all time: 17 Lies That Are Holding You Back and the Truth That Will Set You Free by Steve Chandler. In this reflective solo episode, Gail explores two powerful lies many of us repeat without realizing the impact they have on our confidence, our relationships, our habits, and our future: “That’s just the way I am” and “I’m too old for that.”

Drawing from Chandler’s insights and her own lived experiences, Gail unpacks how the stories we tell ourselves—about aging, habits, personality, and capability—can quietly shape our identity and limit our growth. She also shares practical examples from her childhood, career, and daily life that illustrate how unconscious narratives form, how they keep us stuck, and how shifting them can lead to lasting change.

This conversation is an invitation to pause, reflect, and consider: Which beliefs are truly yours, and which are old scripts you’ve outgrown?

This Conversation Covers:

• Why “that’s just the way I am” is often a self-protective story—not a truth
• How unconscious childhood programming shapes adult habits
• The difference between aging and feeling “too old,” and why perspective matters
• Real stories of people who started new careers, projects, or education later in life
• Why self-esteem is an inner practice—not something others can “hurt” or control
• The surprising emotional power of organization, habits, and early personality patterns
• How doing something—even small steps—begins to shift long-held narratives

This episode is a reminder that we are not fixed beings—we are always capable of learning, changing, and choosing differently at any age.

Books & Resources Referenced:

• 17 Lies That Are Holding You Back and the Truth That Will Set You Free — Steve Chandler
• 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself — Steve Chandler
• Atomic Habits — James Clear
• Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway — Dr. Susan Jeffers
• Work of Immanuel Kant (referenced in discussion)

Gail McDonald sits down with sisters Daria and Shawna Balas, the powerhouse founders behind SHE-Canada, a coast-to-coast platform built to support, celebrate, and elevate women-led businesses. What began as a simple acronym, Support Her Enterprise, has grown into a national movement giving women greater visibility, confidence, and community in entrepreneurship.

In this heartfelt conversation, Gail, Daria, and Shawna explore the real experiences of women in business: navigating confidence gaps, strengthening self-esteem, finding belonging, and rising together through mutual support. They discuss the challenges women face in accessing funding, building networks, and being taken seriously, and how SHE-Canada is breaking down those barriers through co-op marketing, a national directory, digital magazines, and genuine community-building.

This Conversation Covers:

• The meaning and origin of SHE—Support Her Enterprise
• The difference between confidence and self-esteem, and why both matter
• The “crown straightening” philosophy of women helping women rise
• Challenges female entrepreneurs face in visibility, connection, and financing
• How SHE-Canada’s co-op marketing model reduces costs and expands reach
• The importance of inclusive support for all women, from makers to CEOs
• How technology, community, and mentorship shape modern entrepreneurship
• Why networking remains essential for women in business

This episode is a reminder that women rise higher when they rise together, through authenticity, collaboration, and community.

SHE-Canada:

Founded by Daria Balas and Shawna Balas Website: she-canada.com

Books & Resources Referenced:

• The Tipping Point — Malcolm Gladwell
• Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway — Dr. Susan Jeffers
• Author Charles Darwin

Gail McDonald sits down with Ed Brenegar, leadership thought leader, writer, podcaster, and social catalyst, to explore what leadership really means in a time when old systems are breaking down and new models are emerging.

Ed, author of eight books and writer of The Future of Leadership on Substack, shares why leadership has nothing to do with titles and everything to do with initiative, clarity, and community. Together, they unpack how great organizations are built—not through hierarchy—but through trust, human connection, and the willingness to empower people at every level.

This conversation covers:

• Why most companies run their business but don’t truly lead
• How clarity of values, purpose, and impact transforms organizations
• The hidden leadership already happening in the “lower” levels of every company
• The Five Actions of Gratitude and why they can shift an entire culture
• Why kindness is strategic—and how to embed it into daily work
• How to help teams think clearly, innovate, and speak up
• Why “saying no” is essential for leaders
• The dangers of the Dunning–Kruger effect and how to stay curious
• How to believe in yourself without posturing or ego
• The surprising sleep routine that helped Ed write his most impactful book

Ed’s storytelling, insight, and lived experience offer a refreshing, human approach to leadership, rooted in dignity, community, and genuine impact. If you’re a leader, manager, or anyone who wants to make a difference, this episode will change how you see your role and your capacity.

Ed Brenegar:

edbrenegar.com

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Books Referenced

• Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman
• May Your No Be a Yes by Ed Brenegar
• The Circle of Impact by Ed Brenegar
• Generational Memory: Restoring Community in the Continuity of Time (Ed’s forthcoming book; working title)

Gail McDonald sits down with Dayna Haig-Conway, Registered BC Clinical Counsellor, Certified K-12 Educator and founder of CAMP Mental Health, to explore the real stories and lived experiences that shaped her work in resilience, motivation, and belonging.

Dayna shares her nonlinear path, from outdoor education to youth care to school counselling, and the earthquake in New Zealand that changed everything. She talks candidly about postpartum struggles, shame, asking for help, and how the thread tying it all together was one core human need: belonging.

Together, Gail and Dayna unpack:

• Why belonging and connection are the foundation of emotional resilience
• How childhood experiences, expectations, and family narratives shape our reactions
• The difference between fixing, helping, and supporting
• What teens, parents, and leaders really need in order to feel motivated
• How to have hard conversations without judgment
• Why modelling emotional intelligence matters more than lecturing
• What inspired the creation of the CAMP (Calm & Connect, Assess Needs, Meaning & Values, Propose Solutions) framework
• How CAMP is helping families, caregivers, educators, and organizations across Canada

Dayna also shares real-life stories—from messy vans to smelly dogs to the “milk in the wrong spot” moment—that reveal how everyday life becomes an opportunity to practice clarity, compassion, and connection.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by expectations, struggled to ask for help, or wondered how to motivate someone you care about, this conversation offers grounding insight and gentle, practical guidance.

Dayna Haig-Conway, MA:

www.campmentalhealth.com

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In the previous episode, we uncovered how invisible scripts—our assumptions—can quietly derail connection. This week, Gail returns to close the loop.

In Part 2 of Assumptions: The Unseen Saboteurs of Connection, Gail goes deeper into how we can notice and neutralize those knee-jerk reactions that keep us stuck. From the “lizard brain” to the 90-second rule, she explores the neuroscience of emotion and the everyday tools that help us respond rather than react.

You’ll learn how to name your inner saboteur, practice impulse control, and build habits that create space for calm and clarity. Along the way, Gail shares practical reflection questions, grounding exercises, and a bit of humor to remind us—progress is possible, even if it takes practice.

If Episode 7 helped you see your assumptions, this one helps you shift them. Tune in to transform awareness into action—and learn how to quiet your “Gloria” before she runs the show.

Shift from reaction to reflection.

Note: In this episode, Gail references the concept of “Positive Intelligence.” The founder of Positive Intelligence is Shirzad Chamine, whom she wishes to acknowledge here.

Books Mentioned:

• My Stroke of Insight by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor
• The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
• Speak-Up Culture by Stephen Shedletzky
• Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters and How to Harness It by Ethan Kross
• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
• An Inside Story: A Children's Book for Grown-ups Too! by Chris Hartstein and Leland Brigham

Others Mentioned:

• Seth Godin
• Dr. Gloria Wilcox (creator of The Feelings Wheel)
• Cy Wakeman

A listener shared: “At my mom’s house, visiting meant nonstop talking. At my husband’s, it meant quiet companionship.”

Same moment. Different meanings.

This episode on Blind Spots, Gail unpacks the invisible scripts we carry into relationships—those default settings shaped by family, culture, and experience. What happens when our assumptions clash with someone else’s? For example, how do we stop interpreting silence as rejection or conversation as overwhelm?

Tune in for a powerful exploration of emotional regulation, boundary-setting, and the 90-second rule—a neuroscience-backed tool for navigating reactive moments with grace. For both personal and professional life, this episode offers practical insights to help you decode your defaults and connect with more intention.

Shift from autopilot to awareness.

In this heartfelt and thought-provoking episode of Blind Spots, host Gail McDonald sits down with Colin Smith, known as The Listener, to explore what it truly means to listen — not just with our ears, but with our whole being.

Colin, a specialist in listening skills and psychological safety, shares his insights on why hearing and listening are not the same thing, how being fully present can transform relationships, and why learning to “be with” someone is the key to connection in our homes, workplaces, and communities.

Through personal stories, simple practices, and reflections from his work with leaders, teams, and individuals, Colin invites us to slow down, put aside distractions, and rediscover the power of attention. Together, they explore:

• The difference between hearing and listening — and why most of us mistake one for the other.
• How listening builds trust and emotional safety in families, partnerships, and teams.
• What children and adults alike teach us about being heard.
• How leaders can shift from transactional to relational cultures.
• The neuroscience and compassion behind “whole-hearted listening.”
• Practical steps to start becoming a better listener today.

If you’ve ever wished to feel more connected, understood, or seen — or to offer that gift to others — this conversation will change how you think about listening forever.

Colin Smith: Listening Skills Specialist and Founder of Listening Matters

dexteritysolutions.co.uk

colin.smith@dexteritysolutions.co.uk

LinkedIn – Colin D Smith

Referenced works & mentions:

• Time to Think by Nancy Kline
• The Promise That Changes Everything by Nancy Kline
• Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg
• Humankind by Rutger Bregman
• Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman
• Friendship Bench initiative
• Joe Berry’s story of peace and reconciliation
• Simon Sinek’s insights on leadership

In this inspiring conversation, host Gail McDonald sits down with Paul Haury, leadership consultant and founder of Heart-Based Leading, to explore one of our greatest blind spots: belonging. Paul shares why loneliness is less a personal condition and more a symptom of disconnection—and how true belonging is a conscious choice, not just a feeling.

Drawing from personal stories, his years as a teacher, and his work with organizations, Paul unpacks how creating cultures of belonging transforms classrooms, workplaces, and even communities. Together, Gail and Paul discuss the neurobiology of connection, why belonging is relational (not transactional), and how leaders can move teams from “fear of” to “fear for.”

Along the way, they highlight examples like San Francisco’s Delancey Street community, Brené Brown’s insights on fitting in vs. belonging, and Rutger Bregman’s Humankind and Moral Ambition.

If you’ve ever wondered how to build stronger teams, healthier organizations, or simply feel more connected in your own life, this episode will leave you with both practical tools and a renewed sense of possibility.

⁠Heart Based Leading⁠ with Paul Haury

Mentions & References

• Rutger Bregman – Humankind & Moral Ambition
• ⁠Delancey Street Foundation⁠ (San Francisco)
• Brené Brown on belonging vs. fitting in