Tom Lee's life took an unexpected turn when his colon cancer progressed to stage four metastatic status. Rather than retreating, this former engineering professor discovered a remarkable talent for pastel drawing that became the subject of his powerful digital story with the Canadian Cancer Society.

Episode Key Messages

• When diagnosed with terminal cancer, Tom turned to art as a meaningful way to engage with life
• Tom's philosophy: "The cure for cancer is a life well-lived"
• Created a digital story about his artistic awakening with help from the Canadian Cancer Society
• The community aspect of storytelling workshops proved essential—"You can't do this journey alone"
• Tom shares his experience openly through YouTube videos that evolved from lighthearted to more profound reflections
• Currently writing a book weaving together his off-grid cottage experiences, cancer journey, and academic reflections
• Modern palliative care focuses on quality of life rather than extension at all costs
• End-of-life moments are meaningful and shouldn't be feared, they should be embraced and documented

Other Links Mentioned

• Watch Tom’s digital story
• Read this episode's blog post
• Check out Tom's Youtube channel
• The Waiting Room Revolution with Sammy Winemaker

About Our Guest

Dr. Lee is a retired engineering faculty member and endowed chair holder at McMaster University. Prior to his appointment, he enjoyed three career decades in the commercialization of advanced engineering technologies. During his industry career, he built a global reputation for developing transformational multidisciplinary initiatives in engineering education and research. Dr. Lee also has a passion for outreach with significant contributions to FIRST Robotics, Shad Valley, and the Canadian Cancer Society. In 2019 he was inducted Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and honoured by Tsinghua University as Distinguished Honorary Professor. In 2022, he was conferred an Honorary Doctorate LLD, from York University.

In 2022, Dr. Lee was diagnosed with colon cancer which evolved to terminal metastatic cancer. This triggered his retirement from McMaster. In retirement, he has been exploring creative activities for personal enrichment and enlightenment including pastel drawing, video production, and outreach. This led to the epiphany that the cure for cancer is a life well lived and that his best days may still be ahead of him. This event was conceived to continue the Lee family’s efforts to make every day our best day.

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The most compelling marketing doesn't come from slick campaigns or catchy slogans—it emerges from authentic personal narratives that reveal why we do what we do. Mindfulness teacher and keynote speaker Trish Tutton joins us to explore how digital storytelling captured the pivotal moment that shaped her life's purpose.

Discover how your authentic narrative might become your most powerful tool for reaching others.

Episode Key Messages

• Every business comes from a story, especially purpose driven businesses
• Digital storytelling allowed Trish to share her pivotal life experience with potential clients before they even meet her
• Creating a succinct 3-minute digital story helped Trish refine her keynote presentations
• Selecting images for digital storytelling requires thinking in metaphors and considering emotional impact
• Sharing personal stories of loss creates connection through our common humanity
• Trish teaches mindfulness techniques that can be practiced in under 5 minutes daily
• Creating digital stories can be healing for the storyteller while also serving business purposes

Other Links Mentioned

• Watch Trish’s digital story
• Read this episode's blog post
• Check out Trish's Worry Less, Live More course and her Mindful Mornings journal
• Watch the Look Back video about Ep 30 with Dr. Carmen Logie

Learn more about Trish Tutton here.

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What happens when a simple four-minute digital story manages to capture the essence of a centuries-old military band tradition? For Katlyn Lamont, a registered psychotherapist and newly-trained digital storytelling facilitator, the answer came in the form of tough military veterans moved to tears.

Katlyn's journey with Common Language Digital Storytelling began unexpectedly when her youth addiction agency secured her a last-minute spot in facilitator training. With a background in media production from high school, she quickly found herself rekindling dormant creative skills. But the real magic happened when she faced a moment of clarity the morning of the story circle, scrapping her original draft to instead document her experience with the Lincoln and Welland Band.

The story captured a pivotal moment for the band, which had played for the Lincoln and Welland Regiment since the War of 1812 but had recently received a cease and desist order, threatening their identity and traditions. Despite being relatively new to the band, Katlyn found herself documenting not just a musical group, but a living historical legacy kept alive by combat veterans whose service photos she incorporated into her digital story.

When she gathered band members for a screening, complete with popcorn and snacks, Katlyn was worried they'd find inaccuracies. Instead, she witnessed hardened veterans brought to tears. Her band president summed up the impact perfectly: "What we've been trying to say to the community and to the regiment for months, you've just summed up in four minutes." The film quickly spread beyond that screening room to social media, and local politicians.

The power of digital storytelling lies not just in its emotional impact but in its ability to advocate where traditional communications fall short. As Katlyn discovered, sometimes a personal narrative can accomplish what countless emails, letters, and meetings cannot. Whether you're looking to preserve history, drive organizational change, or simply document meaningful moments, digital storytelling offers a uniquely powerful medium that resonates across generations and bureaucratic boundaries.

Ready to explore how your story might create ripples of change? Discover more about Common Language DST facilitator training here.

Other Links Mentioned

• Watch Katlyn's digital story
• Learn more about the Lincoln & Welland Band
• Read this episode's blog post
• Watch the Looking Back video for Ep 29 about DST in Research

Learn more about Katlyn through the blog post.

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