Meet Kirsten Duke, a 39-year-old mother of three, who carried four babies and helped create two separate, but forever linked, families. The Other Side of Surrogacy - aka, the one that made Nadine cry. 

In this episode Kirsten generously shares her remarkable journey as a surrogate mother. Starting from the beginning (seeing a TikTok video with two hopeful fathers from Spain) she then walks us through the medical screenings, the legal and logistical processes, the experience of carrying a baby that isn't your own, and that moment of joy she experienced when she finally handed over a healthy baby girl to two fathers she had come to love as family.  

Kirsten's story is a testament to kindness, sacrifice and the importance of humanity and community. 

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Mom and sis are back! And this week the three of us dive into the joys and complexities of friendship. We talk about making new friends, losing old ones, and the natural ebb and flow of those lifelong friendships, including the pain of drifting apart as well as the beauty of reconnecting. Told from the perspective of women in their 40s, 50s and 70s, we explore how true friendships shape our lives, provide us with a safety net, and stand the test of time. 

Mom, sis and I are often found chatting on a three-way FaceTime call about anything and nothing at the same time. One day I asked if I could record our chats and, much like all of my off-the-wall ideas, they were game. I like to think of this as a 'borrow my family' series. Listen in, we tend to forget anyone is listening and that's when the juicy stuff comes out. 

x

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If you've ever wondered how folks figure out what to do with their lives, have a listen. Regardless if you're an entrepreneur or not, this conversation highlights how there are a million different paths to take you where you're meant to go. Sometimes it's as simple as being in the right place at the right time; Mandie and Nadine like to call that kismet. 

Mandie Vossenberg, the owner/operator of Collective Movement, joins Nadine on today's podcast to talk about her unlikely path to entrepreneurship, and how her first year(ish) has been. Much the same way all of Nadine and Mandie's conversations go, they flow from one topic to the next, hoping to share the realities of small biz life and how it feels to realize you have to be the adult in the room. As Mandie so succinctly puts it, to realize that "No one is coming to save you." 

If you're interested in knowing how it really feels to run a small business, this is for you. If you simply want a warm hug on a cold day, this is also for you. 

So maybe put the kettle on, settle in, and enjoy x

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Meet Tesia, a registered psychotherapist, who landed in a hospital bed with a broken back after the hammock she was relaxing in at a spa suddenly broke and sent her crashing to the ground. In this chat, Tesia recounts her harrowing experience from that day and walks us through the immense challenges of her recovery, including her personal and professional growth, setbacks, and shifting relationships. 

With honesty and a sense of humour that helped her through this traumatic experience, we are gifted with a story that is a testament to the power of perseverance and support. 

From being told she may never regain the ability to walk, to running a marathon 6 years later, Tesia shares how a serious injury can crack your entire world wide open.    

Tesia Bryski is the founder and co-director of Shine Mental Health Collective. 

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Chronic pain is something that's hard to imagine unless you've experienced it yourself. That's why I wanted to hear Lisa's story. Lisa is a physiotherapist who specializes in women's and pelvic floor health, and in this episode she shares her personal journey through an excruciating experience with chronic back pain.

Listen in as Lisa explains how chronic pain affected every aspect of her life - her job, her sleep, her relationships and her mental and physical health. Vulnerable and direct, Lisa holds nothing back as she walks us through her last couple of years, and shares how this has impacted her own practice now that she finds herself on the other side. 

Lisa is the co-owner of Bloom Integrative Health and is a co-host of the podcast Cliterally Obsessed. 

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In this episode of the Other Side Pod, Nadine talks to Henry Assad, the CEO of Happy Goat Coffee Company. Henry shares his experiences from starting in the coffee business in 2008 to purchasing and expanding Happy Goat. He delves into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges faced during the Ottawa Freedom Convoy, and how with the critical support from friends and family he managed to still be standing on the other side of a global pandemic. Despite the setbacks, Henry remains optimistic and continues to grow Happy Goat Coffee, recently expanding into the GTA and exploring new product lines. Henry’s story is one of resilience, community support, and a relentless drive to build something meaningful.

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I'm often found on FaceTime with mom and sis just ... shooting the shit. When I had this idea to record us they were all in, so here's our first go.

Throughout these 50 minutes we discuss numerous topics, from family dynamics, careers, access to birth control in the 70s, to how I got my abysmal sense of time from Lorraine (the matriarch). We jump from topic to topic because, that's us. Some months we'll delve further into something, but for the first episode together we kept it light(ish). 

I hope you enjoy because they'll be back the last Wednesday of each month (unless I fire them, which is a probability). 

nh x

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"I think there is something really beautiful I can make of these broken pieces...to give someone else some perspective...to leave the best parts of me behind.”

Part 2 of a 2-part conversation with Erin McHarge.

Take this podcast on your next walk. Trust me. Though it’s about cancer, incurable cancer at that, it’s one you will easily fall in love with because Erin is simply that kind of human. At 27, Erin was dealt a brutal blow - a stage 4B endometrial cancer diagnosis. This was less than a year ago, and now, freshly 28, she kindly pulls the curtain back on her life and offers us a rare insight into her world. 

We talk about everything, from the mundane to the profound, including diagnosis, the challenges of being taken seriously as a young woman with severe symptoms, her decision to continue pursuing her PhD, and how it feels having her new wife, the incomparable Sam!, also be her primary caregiver. Oh! And we cannot forget the honorable mention of Drew Carey and The Price is Right :P

Erin is a PhD student, a new wife, a Tarot Card aficionado, and simply one of the warmest, smartest, kindest human beings on planet earth. 

For more, check out Erin's substack x

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“I am not in the business of being miserable anymore.”

Take this podcast on your next walk. Trust me. Though it’s about cancer, incurable cancer at that, it’s one you will easily fall in love with because Erin is simply that kind of human. At 27, Erin was dealt a brutal blow - a stage 4B endometrial cancer diagnosis. This was less than a year ago, and now, freshly 28, she kindly pulls the curtain back on her life and offers us a rare insight into her world. We talk about everything, from the mundane to the profound, including diagnosis, the challenges of being taken seriously as a young woman with severe symptoms, her decision to continue pursuing her PhD, and how it feels having her new wife, the incomparable Sam!, also be her primary caregiver. Oh! And we cannot forget the honorable mention of Drew Carey and The Price is Right :P

Erin is a PhD student, a new wife, a Tarot Card aficionado, and simply one of the warmest, smartest, kindest human beings on planet earth. 

This is part 1 of 2. Tune in next Wednesday for more. 

In the meantime, check out Erin's substack.  x

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Listen in as Nadine and Mandie chat all things dead parents on the first episode of The Other Side Pod. Through candid and deeply personal dialogue, they share stories about their grief, unexpected signs from their loved ones, and the odd comfort found in dark humour. From the logistical aftermath of a parent's death to the emotional nuances of navigating life without them, this episode offers a raw yet relatable look at grief, filled with both laughter and tears.

Mandie Vossenberg is the owner/operator of the Collective Movement studio in Ottawa, Ontario. She's funny, honest, bighearted, and vegan - but don't hold that last part against her :P x

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Meet Ashley Wittig, brainchild behind Honey's Ice Cream in Toronto, ON and holder of my heart through said ice cream. In this episode, Ashley shares her journey from vegan bakery owner to vegan ice cream maker/Honey's creator, taking us through her creative process (seriously, how does she continually make us drool with those flavour combinations?!) and the challenges she has faced in both her previous and current businesses. 

When hopping on this call I wanted to know how Ashley came to the decision to sell a bakery that was doing incredibly well and then how she decided to jump back into an industry that she knew, but go from the oven to the freezer. We end up talking about so much more, including a little on her personal life (she's recently married) why she advises you not to move for your boyfriend (:P) and how loss has influenced her path. 

Ashley is passionate about her craft and continues to innovate in the world of vegan ice cream. Go grab a scoop. A pint. A pie. And send some to me in a refrigerated truck. Pleaseeeeeeee. 

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Ever been fired? Jen has, twice! And both times that it happened to her she wished she had someone she could relate to, so she's sharing her story in case she can be that someone for you. 

In this episode Jen recounts her journey of being terminated from two significant jobs and how those experiences shaped both her, and her career. A human rights investigator and lawyer based in Ottawa, Jen walks us through the impact these moments had on her psyche, how she got herself through those first few days and weeks post termination, and how she turned those adversities into stepping stones, eventually starting her own successful business specializing in workplace and sports investigations.

This conversation highlights the importance of resilience, the support of friends and family, and ultimately finding fulfillment through reinventing one's career. 

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Mandie Vossenberg is back on the pod to talk about dead parents, but make it festive?!

The holidays bring about a lot of feelings, especially if you've lost someone, so Nadine and Mandie wanted to share how they've been feeling in hopes that if you can relate, you won't feel so alone in it. 

In this heartfelt episode, they share a candid conversation about dealing with grief during the holiday season, recounting personal experiences, from the sadness and tears to the unexpected moments of joy and nostalgia that the season brings. 

The conversation also touches on personal growth, setting boundaries, and finding solace in various forms of communication with friends and family. They offer gentle advice for those who have recently lost loved ones, emphasizing the importance of processing grief at one’s own pace and finding supportive communities. 

Amidst all, there's a shared sense of resilience and the ability to find joy again.

Happy Holidays x

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We are officially into the Holiday Season so I thought it was a great time to chat with Tesia Bryski and Alyssa Malizia, psychotherapists and the Co-Directors at Shine Mental Health Collective in Ottawa, ON. This time of year can be challenging for many for a multitude of reasons, so in this episode we wanted to share some insights into psychotherapy, access, the impact of the holidays on mental health and the ways in which we can take care of ourselves during a busy time of year. 

In this conversation I wanted to turn the tables and ask the psychotherapists the questions; how did they find their way to this career? how do they take care of themselves after taking care of others? what is it like to supervise? and finally, do they ever take one side of a couple's argument during couple's therapy? (I HAD TO ASK!). 

We also chat about the role AI is playing in mental health and finally, if sitting on the couch seems too much for you right now, both Tesia and Alyssa leave us with some tips that we can use to help us through the holidays.

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Meet Jess Packman, hair enthusiast and stylist at JetBlack Hair Studio, who also happens to no longer suffer wildly every month since having a hysterectomy! Nadine and Jess, like many people who happen to have uteruses, have had a complicated relationship with them and hopped on the podcast to talk about their decisions to have them removed due to severe endometriosis and adenomyosis. Listen in as both women share their own personal stories, which are very different from each other but so similar to many folks out there. The journey to a hysterectomy is not an easy one - and women's health care is confusing AT BEST. In discussing their individual experiences through pain, misdiagnosis, ineffective treatments and the emotional rollercoaster of trying to conceive, Nadine and Jess hope that their years of agony and systemic healthcare struggles will add to the important conversation that highlights the power of understanding female reproductive health issues, advocating for oneself, and finding compassionate medical care. 

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It's the last Wednesday of the month so you know what that means. Mom and sis are back! And this time we're talking body image and aging. 

Listen in as the three of us, being women in our 40s, 50s, and 70s, discuss our independent decisions to age naturally in a world constantly promoting fillers, Botox, and surgeries. Each of us discuss our own personal journeys toward self-acceptance, and share insights on how we've built our relationships with our imperfect bodies, embracing the physical changes that come naturally with age while highlighting the importance of mental health and self-compassion along the way.

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Mom & sis are back for a light-hearted discussion about our own personal fitness stories, sharing how different forms of movement like running, Pilates, and dance classes impact our lives. 

In a world where everything feels quite heavy, and at a time when the most awful humans are getting a lot of attention, we felt a need to remind ourselves of the good people around us and the importance of social connections and community.

While we also explore the pressures of diet culture and body image issues, this episode is meant to bring levity and serve as a good reminder of how we feel when we get off of our phones and go into our communities to connect.

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This week's lively discussion is brought to you by Chantal Sarkisian, an Armenian-Canadian influencer better known as Chantsy online! 

Listen in as Nadine and Chantal delve into the behind-the-scenes of what it means to be a social media influencer. Their conversation starts from the beginning, with Chantal's early experience as a blogger, then discusses her transition to Instagram and TikTok, diving into the realities of managing sponsored content while keeping true to personal values, particularly in the realms of body positivity and mid-size fashion. 

Chantal shares her experiences with creating authentic, relatable content, and the challenges of maintaining a balance between personal life and a public persona. 

As two women who love (like, LOVE) fashion, they get into the evolving landscape of body representation in the industry and the importance of persistence, authenticity, and kindness in navigating that world as a midsize fashion influencer. 

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In this week's episode of The Other Side Pod, Karla Briones hops on to chat about the side of entrepreneurship that isn't so pretty. The burnout. The decisions we make when we lose connection with ourselves. The challenges that immigrant entrepreneurs face. The guilt that can be easily felt when juggling motherhood, and the directions we go when we've lost our purpose and how to come to the decision to change course.

Karla has started multiple businesses over her extensive career, and shares with us the joy of opening her first (Global Pet Foods), the frustration of starting her second (Freshii), and finally the overwhelming sense of landing in the exact right place with her non-profit, Immigrant Entrepreneur Canada, who's mandate is to empower and accelerate the impact and success of immigrant entrepreneurs in Canada. 

This conversation is for anyone, entrepreneur or not, who has lived the ups and downs, or perhaps are finding themselves a little lost. Now in their 40s, Karla and Nadine share a fresh perspective on finding their groove with a sense of purpose that can only come with time, consistency, support and staying rooted in one's mission and passion. 

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It's the first pod of 2026 and what better way to start a new year than a conversation with Florence Maheu; Canadian slalom kayaker, Olympian, and just the loveliest human with a refreshing perspective on life.

Recently retired from an 18 year career as a professional athlete, Flo takes us behind the scenes and tells us how she first discovered (and fell in love with) kayaking and walks us through the realities of her rigorous training and travel schedule and how, during those demanding years, she also managed to grow up,  attend university, meet a partner, and attempt to stay connected with her family and friends. 

We also talk about her experience at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (which were actually held in 2021 because of COVID) and how she made the decision to retire, drawing parallels between her previous career and her current one at the Ottawa Police Service.

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Happy New Year's Eve from mom, sis and I! 

Join us for this special holiday episode to hear our thoughts and expectations for this coming New Year, as well as anecdotes about past resolutions, generational differences in goal setting, and personal shifts in mindset. Of course we also offer tips on surviving the winter in Newfoundland (and Canada in general!), touching on the importance of connection and community. 

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On this nostalgic Christmas Eve, sisters Nadine and Danielle, along with their cousin, Amy, share their memorable, often chaotic experiences working at a housewares and gift shop in St. John's, Newfoundland during their high school and university days.  

Reflecting on their long hours, challenging customers and youthful first-job antics, these three share insights into the exhaustion and camaraderie of retail work during the holiday season. Through humorous and heartfelt stories about Midnight Madness, pricing Christmas ornaments in the summer, and the mayhem of Boxing Day sales, they emphasize the importance of being kind to service workers, especially at this time of year. Oh, and they'd be remiss not to tell you to stop trying to do exchanges/returns on Boxing Day. Have a heart. 

And, of course, Merry Christmas! 

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How does it feel to reach the age of retirement when you’ve spent your career strongly identifying with your profession? What happens when our value becomes untangled from what we ‘do’ to who we actually are? How do folks navigate that shift and what things arise when we find ourselves on the other side of our career? These are the questions that were floating around my mind when I asked my dear friend, Fraser, to sit down for a chat. 

Fraser Valentine, a senior leader in the Canadian Federal Public Service, hops on the pod for an open and honest conversation around his upcoming retirement. We delve into his journey from childhood aspirations to the significant roles he has held, particularly in Immigration and Refugee Affairs, and the challenges and rewards of his profession. Reflecting on personal experiences, including dealing with the loss of his father and coming out, Fraser contemplates the shift from a career-driven life to embracing retirement with gratitude and curiosity. 

This podcast touches on themes of purpose, transition, and the importance of making meaningful contributions beyond one’s careers.

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Mom and sis are back, and this week we asked mom how she managed to stay in love with the same person for over 50 years - our dad <3

Though she says there's no magic formula, she tells us of the importance of trust, mutual respect, being in-tune with one another, and having a deep love that supersedes those days when you don't like each other very much. 

As mom reflects on the reality of raising kids and working - the exhaustion, the uneven load mothers can carry, the moments of resentment - she tells us how a marriage can survive those all consuming years by perseverance and finding time, even small moments, for your relationship in-between everything else. 

This conversation also highlights the importance of friendship and community in our lives, along with Lorraine’s belief in independence, including the secret bank account she kept for decades “just in case,” (you'll have to listen to hear the details on this!). 

At the heart of this episode is mom’s certainty that love is a feeling you can't control, make-up, or ignore. You either feel it or you don't. And if you're lucky to come upon it, you will keep choosing each other over life's constant changes. 

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This week we talk with Lori Brooks, a dear friend of Nadine's who graciously came onto the pod to talk about what it means to live through repeated loss on the road to becoming a mom. 

Lori always knew she wanted kids, and after experiencing a long period of trying to conceive, she miscarried the first time just 6 weeks into her pregnancy. Two more miscarriages later, Lori takes us through each one, sharing the lived experience, but also the depression that followed and the pressure she felt to "stay positive".

Throughout this talk she candidly describes the isolation and awkwardness of miscarriage, why many people don’t talk about it, and how insensitive comments can land. Lori explains that causes of miscarriages are often unknown, how self-blame takes hold, and how she coped with cycles of anger, grief, and attempts to “fix” fertility through lifestyle changes and alternative therapies.

Lori's fertility story ends with the joy of twins - something that happened after a second round of IUI. While this is the happy ending she dreamt about, she normalizes not getting the pregnancy experience she hoped for, explains how it was shaped by her previous losses, and then leaves the pod with practical guidance for supporting someone through miscarriage: show up, be curious, take cues, offer tangible help, and make room for both grief and joy without forcing optimism.

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Erin is back! If you haven't listened to Erin's first TOS podcast, TOS of a Cancer Diagnosis, go have a listen to episode #2 and prepare to fall in love with her. She's incredibly special, and smart, and interesting, and here to tell us how's she doing and to talk all things Tarot.

The first 15 minutes-ish of this episode I check in and get an update on all things Erin, which she so generously shares, before we delve into the mystical, magical world of Tarot. How do we transition from stage four cancer and brain radiation into Erin's passion for tarot reading? You'll just have to listen to find out.

Erin has been curious about Tarot most of her life, an interest that began when she stumbled upon her grandmother's cards. As someone who is interested but intimidated by them, I ask Erin everything from the origins, to particular card meanings to different ways to read them and the personal significance of certain cards to her over her lifetime.

As always, Erin surprises me with her interpretation, and teaches me to allow for more softness, flexibility and curiosity in Tarot, and in life.

For those interested, she is available for individual tarot readings (whether over video call or in-person in Hamilton, ON). Contact her at erintarotreading@gmail.com.

As promised in the show, you can read her essay, Cancer Floats, here x

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In a candid conversation, Donna - an artist, musician, and mom - shares what she’s loving lately in music (Louis Tomlinson, thanks to her nine-year-old daughter) before diving into the story behind her decision to choose to become a single mother at 40.  

Donna first walked into a fertility clinic at 38 when it occurred to her that time was slipping by and waiting for the right partner was no longer something she could entertain. Women’s biological clocks are a real thing, and if she was going to be a mom, it was now or never. 

Throughout this episode Donna talks to us about the decision to use a sperm donor, walking us through the steps while openly and honestly sharing how she felt each part of the way. She shares the challenges and joys, the worries and wins, and how she finally got the courage to tell her Catholic mother about the pregnancy, leaning on her supportive father and friends along the way. 

Raising Maria has been the reward she always hoped for, and she talks about raising her with honesty about being donor-conceived, including connecting her with donor siblings via the Donor Sibling Registry. Reflecting on postpartum fears, finances, therapy and screen-time challenges, this is ultimately a story about finding joy in single mothering, soaking up the love that is Maria, in all her humour, imagination and strong will.

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In this week's episode Nadine chats with Ottawa portrait, brand, and commercial photographer Amanda Thirkill about road-trip music, growing up in Sudbury with summers on Manitoulin Island, and how her dad's film-camera candids sparked her love of photography and shaped how she positions herself behind the lens. 

Having previously worked with Amanda, Nadine was most curious to talk about her process and how she not only captures an image, but manages to capture the humanness in each of her subjects. Taking great care to set folks at ease, Amanda has a gift of creating trust, comfort, and a sense of spontaneity in even the most well-curated shoots. 

We talk about the vulnerability of being perceived, and why it's so hard, yet so incredibly important, to have your photo taken - to capture yourself just as you are and show the world how you want to be seen. 

Amanda is a wealth of knowledge, inspiration and vulnerability, sharing the life experiences that shaped her, and giving us a sneak peek into her growing International Women's Day portrait series, the third of which she just shot this past Sunday, March 8th, on IWD. This beautiful series is her brainchild and brings together an incredible community of talented women to help support, celebrate and lift other women they've met along the way.  

View her IWD series on her Instagram, or visit her website for inspiration/inquires. 

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On this episode Nadine welcomes Ottawa-based astrologer, Sarah Goldsmith, to the pod to explore astrology as a tool for mindfulness, storytelling, and personal growth rather than certainty. 

They chat about Sarah's background, how she became interested in astrology and how her approach blends modern and Hellenistic astrology, psychological theory, cycle awareness, and her own personal philosophy grounded in self-trust and mindful routine. 

Listen in as Nadine learns about natal charts, rising signs, whole sign houses, transits, and techniques like perfections. Together they walk through the language, the meanings, and themes, and then demystify Mercury retrograde because what is an episode on astrology without talking about that ;D

For a reading, or if you're simply curious, you can check Sarah out here. 

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They're backkkkkkkk <3 The last Wednesday of the month means mom and sis join Nadine for another funny, candid chat that starts with favourite breakfasts and spirals into bigger life questions. 

Bucket lists. When Nadine admits her dream trip to South Africa has stayed a “someday” fantasy since she was 16, the three unpack why that may be so, which leads to a conversation about the meaning we attach to bucket lists and how perhaps doing the thing we've always wanted to do means that the dream is over. 

This leads to a raw conversation as they revisit how their dad avoided talking about dying and delayed making a will because of a superstition. They then reflect on the legal realities of death, including generational attitudes and how grief can turn into conflict over money or even small possessions. 

This episode ends on a light note, with what travel means to each of them, sharing chaotic road-trip stories from Germany and dreaming about their future “Vera” filming-locations tour in England.

nh x

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This week sisters Angie and Amanda Cambareri, owners of Vincent Boutique in Ottawa, Ontario, join Nadine for a candid chat about closet staples, owning a clothing store, and how they protect their tight bond while also ensuring they make the necessary decisions to continue growing their business.

Growing up in a close-knit Italian family, they both share how their early creativity and love of shopping was encouraged, and how their contrasting personalities - Angie being the responsible helper and Amanda the rule-bender - became a strength for them as business partners and entrepreneurs. 

From bootstrapping inventory and continuing to hold their full-time jobs in the early days, Angie and Amanda share their hard-learned lessons and their hopes for continued growth as they reflect on this last year as being the toughest they've ever experienced. Tariffs and shifting behaviours in their customers changed the landscape and prompted a strategic reset, diversification, and refreshed social media. 

Long story short - these two are not ones to rest into routine. They are continually learning, pivoting, testing markets and hosting events, all the while focused on the same thing since day one - making their clients feel seen. 

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Calling all music lovers! This week Nadine welcomes Erin Benjamin - mom, golfer, former touring singer-songwriter, and now President & CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association - for a wide-ranging conversation about music, identity, and community. 

Having loved music all of her life, but not really able to carry a tune, Nadine wanted to take some time to listen to (and maybe live vicariously through) Erin's story, which begins at the age of five when she begged for her first guitar. 

Over this hour we are gifted with stories about the realities of writing and touring in the 1990s as an independent artist, and we learn how and why Erin retired from performing to become the first Executive Director of the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals (now Folk Canada), choosing impact over the stage.

Reflecting on the healing power of live shows, unforgettable concerts and the joy of connection, Erin shares the importance of the Canadian Live Music Association and talks about how COVID helped propel their relentless advocacy for live music through the #ForTheLoveOfLIVE campaign, which resulted in a historic $70M federal investment. 

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Content warning: infant loss

Emma Mitchell is Evie's mom. She's also a pickleball obsessive, a Canadian music lover, a former open mic host, and one of the most honest and open humans I've had the pleasure of sitting across from. We start the conversation talking about pickleball outfits (because of course we do) and then we go somewhere really deep and really real.

Emma never let herself think about motherhood. Between her brother, Gord, her PCOS diagnosis, and just never really going there in her mind, she'd quietly made peace with a different kind of life. And then a chest x-ray waiting room moment sent her home to take a pregnancy test. The rest, as they say.

We talk about everything - the pregnancy she didn't see coming, the bleed that terrified them at eight weeks, a missing referral, a cervix that was nearly gone, an infection, and a baby girl named Evie who arrived at 23 weeks and 6 days weighing 660 grams. We also talk about what it means to become a mom the moment you find out you're going to be one, even when everything that follows is the hardest thing you've ever done.

This is part 1 of 2, which will be released next week x

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What happens when the rug gets pulled out from under you? Amira believes you were always meant to land exactly where you did.

This week, listen in as Nadine sits down with Amira de Vera, entertainment publicist and founder of Project Four PR, for a conversation that wanders, beautifully, from books to burnout to the Burnt Toast Theory. Amira shares how she stumbled into the Public Relations world with zero plan (just a volunteering gig at Toronto Fashion Week and a lot of nerve), built her own firm after a toxic boss finally pushed her out the door, and learned that the universe has a funny way of redirecting you right when you think you're lost.

They get into the difference between working hard and burning out, why sitting with pain is scarier than outrunning it, and how therapy, morning routines, and the occasional ugly cry over Kristin Hannah can all be part of the same healing toolkit.

Plus: Tom Cruise is apparently really lovely, Honey's Ice Cream is a life-saver, and if you haven't started The Nightingale yet — well, you've been warned.

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They're backkkkkkkk. The last Wednesday of the month means mom and sis join Nadine for a conversation that starts with a laundry disagreement and ends with all three of them in tears. This one is special <3

It began with a simple idea, a book club of sorts. All three of them agreed to read Being Mortal by Atul Gawande but when they hopped on to chat about it, it turned into something unexpected and deeply personal. Turns out the book, which examines how medicine handles aging, terminal illness, and end of life, lands differently when you've lived it. And this family has lived it.

Listen in as Nadine, Danielle, and Lorraine open up about losing their dad/husband, Ed, to stage four lung cancer in April 2020, right in the thick of COVID. They talk about the brutal treatments that no one told him to stop, the fact that only once, and while in crisis, did anyone ask about his end of life wishes, and the friend and GP who finally had the conversation that the system never could.

They wrestle with the tension between fighting and letting go, and how hard it is to honour someone's autonomy when all you want is more time with them. Lorraine reflects on Ed's unshakable will to live and his refusal to hear a prognosis. Danielle connects the book to her daily work in addictions and occupational therapy, where she fights for the same things Gawande writes about - choice, dignity, and a life worth living. And Nadine reckons with a memory she can't shake: calling her dad from Ottawa, telling him to go to the hospital, unable to accept that he was dying.

They also talk about what the book gets so right; the loneliness, boredom, and helplessness of institutional care, the couple who built their own aging community, the man who came back to life when someone put a bird in his room, and the music teacher who spent her final days doing the only thing she ever wanted to do - teach.

This one is heavy and beautiful and important. It's about how we treat the people we love at the end, and whether we're brave enough to ask them what they actually want. It's also about screaming into the void at Cape Spear, which according to this family, is excellent therapy.

Read it. Seriously. Read this book.

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Jen Alvarenga was 18 years old when she left Honduras for Ottawa with a plan - get an education, go back home and work for the family business. That was over two decades ago and well, she's still here and she's shaping her adopted city with as much love and care as if she were born and raised in it.

Jen is the co-founder of GoodStory, a real estate team in Ottawa that has quietly become one of the most trusted in the city - not by chasing sales, but by helping people through every single step of their real estate journey, even if that means telling them it's not the right time to buy or sell. They offer the kind of advice that doesn't so much make them money that day, but it definitely makes them your agent and confidante for life.

On this week's episode Nadine sits down with Jen to talk about everything from acting as her father's translator during government tenders in Honduras at just 12 years old, to fearing having to leave Canada after missing the fine print on her immigration paperwork. She shares how she built GoodStory alongside her partner and husband, Leo, what Copenhagen can teach Ottawa about joy, and all about her beloved mentor who recently passed away - the one who looked at her skepticism about this industry and said, "You could be the light in the dark space."

Though we talk a lot about real estate, this conversation is actually about what it looks like to build something from scratch in a place that wasn't supposed to be home. It's about the fire you inherit from parents who started with nothing, and what can happen when you start to see your city from a lens that takes into account walkability, community design and emotional architecture.

Grab a coffee — from somewhere local — and settle in. This one is truly a good story.

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What happens when the woman who spent years telling her partner that having kids was a 'dealbreaker' suddenly finds herself in her mid-30s wanting the exact thing she'd been against her entire life? Meet Brittany Gordon, a holistic nutritionist, founder of Healing Ginger, sister, daughter, friend, and now mom to two-year old Lillian. 

This week our conversation is focused around the experience of becoming a mother on the other side of 40, including the unexpected identity earthquake that Brittany had, the specific loneliness of being the oldest mom at playgroup, and the particular grief of looking at your toddler and realizing she's going to be fairly young when you die. 

Brittany is equal parts funny and raw, with a dash of quiet radical, as she explains what it was like to go from successful entrepreneur to mom to somehow finding a rhythm between both when she went back to work at just three months postpartum because ... small business owner! 

Join us as she also shares the unexpected gifts of becoming a later-in-life mother - the steadiness, the self-knowledge, the friendships that have already survived their hardest tests along with the ability to slow down and actually appreciate the slowing. 

This conversation is really about identity, how we build it, how we lose it, and how we piece it back together when life hands us something we didn't see coming. 

Grab yourself a salty-snack and settle in. This one's a keeper. 

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Content warning: infant loss

Part 2 of 2 with the wonderful Emma Mitchell. If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, start there first.

We pick up right where we left off, inside the NICU, where Emma spent every single day with her daughter Evie, who was born at 23 weeks and 6 days. We talk about the moment everything shifted, the decision she and Devin made together, and the 43 minutes they'll carry with them forever. We also talk about her brother Gord meeting Evie, the Ottawa Senators showing up on the most unlikely of days, a guitar, a playlist, and a room that felt a little like home.

But this episode is also about what happens after. How pickleball pulled Emma back out into the world. The advocacy work she's done with CHEO that's already made real change for NICU families. And what it looks like to keep being a mom to a baby who isn't here anymore - because she is still very much Evie's mom.

Emma is a pickleball player, a guitar player, an open mic host, an advocate, and simply one of the most generous humans I've ever had on this pod. I'm so glad she shared Evie with us. x

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Amanda Ruddy knows how to throw a party. But this conversation isn't really about parties.

It's about growing up the oldest of five kids in six years, in a house that was always a gathering place. It's about spending years wondering if your name opened doors that your talent was supposed to. It's about losing your mom three weeks before the biggest event of your career and showing up anyway — because she would've wanted you to, and because what else do you do?

Amanda is the founder of Amanda Julia Events, one of Ottawa's most trusted event planning companies, and she is warm and funny and refreshingly honest about all of it. The loneliness of entrepreneurship. The hard conversations she'd rather not have. The event hangover that hits every time. And the two minutes before the doors open that she lives for, every single time, no matter the event.

We also talk about what actually makes a great event (hint: nobody remembers the linens), what people get wrong about this industry, and how she survived COVID by driving around Ottawa tying ribbon on boxes and refusing to disappear.

This one felt like sitting across from a really good friend. Settle in, folks x

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What does 77 years of living actually look like? Mom will tell you, and she won't sugarcoat it either. 

This month mom and sis join Nadine and they get into the big stuff - what years were actually easy (spoiler alert: none of them, really), who mom worried about most and why, and what it felt like to watch each of her three kids leave the nest one by one.

There's also chats about debt, naivety, a very memorable butt dial, a cigar in a shed on New Year's Day, and two packs of cigarettes in Greece (maybe one, it's semantics).

And we can't forget the siblings stuff - the tumultuous patches, the ditto moments, the fast-facing (dad's words, not ours), and what it actually means to have people in your corner who knew you when.

Clear your hour. This one's worth it x

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This week Nadine invited Hillory on the pod to talk about divorce - she said yes, as long as what we could actually talk about was love <3 For Hillory, they are one in the same. 

Hillory Tenute is a First Nations leader, advocate, entrepreneur, founder of Lodge Consulting, beader, auntie, and dog mom whose approach to relationships will genuinely make you rethink everything you think you know about what it means when something ends. Yes, this conversation is about divorce, but not the kind you're probably imagining. No villain. No blowup. Just two people who loved each other enough to stop. 

Coming from a family where you don't just "throw people away", Hillory knew that when she realized she no longer wanted to be married, the work was in figuring out how to separate but remain connected. To, essentially, end well. 

In this episode, Hillory tells us about the surgery that shifted things and what it felt like to finally say the sentence out loud. The night Mike's things were gone and she was alone in a house that no longer felt like hers. How it felt to explore her sexuality, and what it actually looks like to build a life that's fully, unapologetically yours - the new apartment, the solo trip to Europe, her Margie era, a new app (Matchee Matchee) and the new love she wasn't looking for. 

If you've ever loved someone you had to let go, this conversation is for you.  It's warm and honest, a little bit funny and a lot bit true x

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