The Real Van City

Cathy Thorpe, President and CEO of Nurse Next Door, shares her leadership philosophy of bold kindness and how it has transformed the home care industry. She emphasizes the importance of building trust and developing self-led leaders within the organization. Cathy discusses the origins of bold kindness and how it can be applied to create a culture of engagement and fulfillment. She also addresses the importance of authenticity in leadership. Takeaways:-  Develop a culture of bold kindness by having direct conversations and showing genuine care for your team members.-  Focus on developing self-led leaders who take responsibility for their own growth and success.-  Continuous learning and growth are essential for effective leadership.Biography:Cathy Thorpe joined Nurse Next Door as President in 2014 with the mission of growing the business across both Canada and the US, and achieving a new level of operational excellence. Under her tenure, the company has accelerated its growth and now has over 300 locations across North America. In 2016, Cathy was promoted to President & CEO, with a goal of taking the organization to global heights and expanding its international footprint. An accomplished leader, Cathy brings over two decades of leadership experience in the retail industry to Nurse Next Door. She previously served as President of Please Mum and Director of Canadian Operations for The Gap and The Gap Kids, where she was responsible for 150 stores and 1,000+ employees. Through Bold Kindness, her culture and leadership philosophy, Cathy has developed self-led leaders across the brand’s system, resulting in an average NPS score of 70+ among clients and caregivers. Through her new book, Bold Kindness: A Caring, More Compassionate Way to Lead (to be released January 2024), Cathy is bringing her Bold Kindness philosophy to other business leaders, and motivating them to disrupt traditional business practices.◉  ◉  ◉  ◉ ◉►FOLLOWhttps://www.instagram.com/bold.kindness/https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathythorpe/►WEBSITEhttps://www.nursenextdoor.com/Book - Bold Kindness----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------►The Real Van City shares compelling conversations with Vancouver's most inspiring leaders.https://www.instagram.com/michael.tranmer/https://therealvancity.transistor.fm/https://www.michaeltranmer.com/

In this conversation Lasse Gustavsson, an international environmentalist and CEO of Oceanwise, discusses the progress and challenges in ocean conservation and sustainable development. He highlights the positive developments in the ocean space, the changing role of environmentalists, and the need for knowledge to drive change. Gustavsson emphasizes the importance of engaging and retaining support for environmental issues, particularly among the younger generation. The conversation explores the challenges of leadership and the need to build a strong network and broaden skills for effective leadership.  Gustavsson emphasizes the importance of Oceanwise aspiring to be world-class and the need for hard work, talent, and resilience. He also discusses the matchmaking exercise of connecting people with money to organizations that align with their values. Gustavsson suggests that individuals can make a difference through small actions like reducing plastic use, making sustainable food choices, and supporting environmental leaders. Overall, the conversation highlights the urgency of ocean conservation and the role that individuals and organizations can play in making a positive impact.Takeaways:- There are positive developments in ocean conservation, with international agreements and growing awareness of the importance of healthy ecosystems.- Leadership in the environmental sector requires a broad base of skills and the ability to build a strong network of trusted individuals.- Creating a flexible work environment and empowering employees can lead to increased productivity and engagement. - Individuals can make a difference through small actions like reducing plastic use and making sustainable food choices.- Supporting environmental leaders is crucial in the fight for ocean conservation and environmental protection.Biography:Lasse Gustavsson is an international environmentalist, championing nature conservation and sustainable development worldwide. With decades of international executive leadership experience from Greenpeace International, WWF Sweden, WWF International, and Oceana, he now leads Ocean Wise, an ocean conservation group with global ambitions, based in Vancouver, Canada.Lasse studied International Relations, Development Science, and Human Ecology at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and received his Executive Education at the IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland.◉  ◉  ◉  ◉ ◉►FOLLOWhttps://www.instagram.com/oceanwise/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lassegustavsson/►WEBSITEhttps://ocean.org/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------►The Real Van City shares compelling conversations with Vancouver's most inspiring leaders.https://www.instagram.com/michael.tranmer/https://therealvancity.transistor.fm/https://www.michaeltranmer.com/New episodes every Tuesday.

In this conversation, Frank Wolf discusses his love for exploration and the wilderness. He shares his passion for creating routes in obscure areas and the joy of the journey itself. Frank emphasizes the importance of simplicity and living in the present moment. He also talks about the significance of learning from indigenous cultures and preserving oral history. Frank's experiences in the wilderness have allowed him to get to know himself better and find contentment in a simple life. Frank shares his experiences encountering polar bears, embarking on solo kayaking journeys, and reflecting on the joys of solo travel. He also discusses his upcoming book, Two Springs, One Summer, which delves into his expeditions and personal reflections. Frank emphasizes the importance of being present in nature and the transformative power of wilderness experiences. He also highlights the love of the cold and the role it plays in his adventures. Takeaways:- Embrace simplicity and strip away mental clutter for a clearer and more creative mindset.- Learn from indigenous cultures and value their generational knowledge.- Find what you love and make it work, regardless of financial gain or societal expectations.Biography:Frank Wolf is a Canadian adventurer, writer, photographer, and environmentalist. He is known for feature magazine articles and films that document wilderness expeditions around the world, with a focus on the Canadian North. His journeys include being the first to canoe across Canada in one season, cycling 2,000 km on the Yukon River to the Bering sea in winter, skiing across Baffin Island, rowing the Northwest Passage, and circumnavigating Vancouver Island by kayak. He was named One of Canada's 90 Greatest Explorers of All Time by Canadian Geographic Magazine and one of Canada's Top Ten Adventurers by Explore Magazine. His first book of adventures - Lines on a Map - was published in October 2018 by RMB.◉  ◉  ◉  ◉ ◉►FOLLOWhttps://www.instagram.com/frankwolf70/►WEBSITEhttp://www.fwolf.ca/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------►The Real Van City shares compelling conversations with Vancouver's most inspiring leaders.https://www.instagram.com/michael.tranmer/https://therealvancity.transistor.fm/https://www.michaeltranmer.com/New episodes every Tuesday.

Kevin Vallely is a world-class explorer and leadership mentor. In this episode we discuss Kevin's upcoming expedition to Ellesmere Island and the challenges he will face in the extreme cold. Kevin shares the inspiration behind his expeditions and the importance of finding meaning and purpose in his adventures. He also talks about the collaboration with his Inuit teammates and the training involved. The conversation highlights the creativity and design involved in planning and executing expeditions, as well as the importance of embracing a childlike sense of play and exploration. Kevin discusses the similarities between the creative process in architecture and adventure. He emphasizes the importance of getting down to the details and the satisfaction of seeing a finished product or completing a challenging expedition. Kevin also highlights the need to love the process and be willing to go through the tedious tasks in order to achieve the larger mission. Takeaways:- The creative process in architecture and adventure involves both the creative side and the need to drill down to the details.- To achieve a larger mission, it is important to love the process and be willing to go through the challenging and tedious tasks.- Surrendering to the unknown and being committed to the journey can lead to incredible experiences and storiesBiography:Kevin Vallely is a world-class explorer, leadership mentor, author, and an award-winning architect. He is a member of the esteemed Explorer's Club and was honored as an Explorer's Club Flag recipient for his expedition to the Northwest Passage in 2013. In 2009 he and two teammates broke the world record for the fastest unsupported trek to the Geographic South Pole.  As a Lead Facilitator, Keynote Speaker, and Expedition Manager at The AIP Group, Kevin helps organizations develop their leadership potential through the power of adventure. For a decade, Keven has been working with a team of world-class adventurers, speakers, and trainers who deliver engaging and impactful learning experiences that bridge business and the adversity of adventure.Kevin is also the Principal Architect at Vallely Architecture, an architectural design studio that specializes in contemporary single-family homes. Kevin is the co-author of Wild Success: 7 Key Lessons Business Leaders Can Learn from Extreme Adventurers and Rowing the Northwest Passage: Adventure, Fear, and Awe in a Rising Sea. ◉  ◉  ◉  ◉ ◉►FOLLOWhttps://www.instagram.com/kevinvallely/►WEBSITEhttps://www.kevinvallely.com/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------►The Real Van City shares compelling conversations with Vancouver's most inspiring leaders.https://www.instagram.com/michael.tranmer/https://therealvancity.transistor.fm/https://www.michaeltranmer.com/New episodes every Tuesday.

You wouldn't expect someone diagnosed with an anxiety condition to become a Public Speaking trainer, but that’s what Lucas did. He is the Founder of Level Up Living, which specializes in helping entrepreneurs and business professionals to speak with confidence.Lucas is an internationally renowned communications trainer that has been featured in Forbes, is a best-selling author, is an official TEDx Speaking Coach, and is a TEDx speaker.In this conversation Lucas shares his journey with anxiety and panic attacks and how he overcame them through exposure therapy. The discussion highlights the power of public speaking in everyday life and offers tips for effective communication in meetings. We also explore the role of personal development in public speaking and the journey of building confidence. Lucas highlights the significance of embracing nervousness and anchoring to excitement, as well as the power of authenticity and connection with the audience. The conversation concludes with a discussion on setting goals and manifesting success through visualization.Takeaways:- Taking responsibility and making changes is essential for personal and professional growth.- The emotional journey of public speaking is often overlooked but plays a significant role in overcoming fears.- Public speaking is a valuable skill that can enhance career progression and increase market value.- Authenticity and problem-solving mindset are key to connecting with an audience and delivering impactful presentations.- Exposure therapy and personal development work can help individuals overcome anxiety and panic attacks. - Be concise in communication and avoid filling the air with unnecessary words.- Embrace nervousness and anchor to excitement to overcome fear of public speaking.- Authenticity and connection with the audience are key to impactful speaking.- Set goals, find the right rooms, and manifest success through visualization.◉  ◉  ◉  ◉ ◉►FOLLOWhttps://www.instagram.com/lucasmattiello/►WEBSITEhttps://levelupliving.com/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------►The Real Van City shares compelling conversations with Vancouver's most inspiring leaders.https://www.instagram.com/michael.tranmer/https://therealvancity.transistor.fm/https://www.michaeltranmer.com/New episodes every Tuesday.

Dream big, think small: how to systematically achieve your goals using  high performance design mindset. In this episode you will learn how to:cultivate belief in yourselfperform under pressureremove ego and apply a proven design solution to achieve your goalsJay DeMerit has one of the most unique stories the soccer world has ever seen.Undrafted into the pros, Jay set off for England with nothing but a backpack and his dream. After sleeping on attic floors in London and making $60 a game, he rose to the top division in the UK and scored the goal that brought Watford FC into the Premier League.He would go on to be the first American Captain for the club and also represented the USA in the World Cup in 2010. Jay finished his soccer career as the first MLS signing and Captain for the Vancouver Whitecaps.After retiring from the game, Jay started the RISExSHINE Charity Foundation and a youth development program for teens called Captains Camps.This holistic leadership program is focused on helping teens to develop into well rounded individuals through mentorship, nutrition, skillset, and mental performance training.He is also developing a youth empowerment app with EA that gamifies learning for the next generation.◉  ◉  ◉  ◉ ◉►FOLLOWhttps://www.instagram.com/d6merit/►WEBSITEhttps://www.risenshine.camp/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------►The Real Van City shares compelling conversations with Vancouver's most inspiring leaders.https://www.instagram.com/michael.tranmer/https://therealvancity.transistor.fm/https://www.michaeltranmer.com/New episodes every Tuesday.

WARNING: This episode will leave you:- vibrating at a higher frequency- with immediate ideas for additional income- with an opportunity to connect with likeminded people from around the worldMaxine Cunningham is an investment banker turned economist, turned startup founder, turned CEO of Pick My Brain. Pick My Brain helps people from all around the world find new ways to buy, sell, and gift their unique gifts globally via the click of a button.◉  ◉  ◉  ◉ ◉►FOLLOWhttps://www.instagram.com/pickmybrain_ceo/►WEBSITEhttps://www.pickmybrain.world/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------►The Real Van City shares compelling conversations with Vancouver's most inspiring leaders.https://www.instagram.com/michael.tranmer/https://therealvancity.transistor.fm/https://www.michaeltranmer.com/New episodes every Tuesday.

For two decades, Kid Carson has not just been a voice on the radio – he's been a part of life in Vancouver. Early morning commutes were often full of ridiculous vibes, but also peppered with inspiring thoughts, real-life sharing, and growth with his audience. His deep dives into psychology, spirituality, relationships, health hacks, technology, and the joys and challenges of parenting, strike chords that resonate long after the show ends. Now broadcasting from the globally acclaimed 5-Star Paradox Hotel, Kid Carson isn't just a media personality; he's a trusted friend and an influential voice in the lives of his listeners.In this episode Kid demonstrates his courage, vulnerability and authenticity, especially in sharing about the infamous "conspiracy rant" that got him fired from Z95.3 radio in February 2022.◉  ◉  ◉  ◉ ◉►FOLLOWhttps://www.instagram.com/kidcarsonshow/►WEBSITEhttps://www.kidcarson.com/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------►The Real Van City shares inspiring conversations with Vancouver's most interesting leaders.https://www.instagram.com/michael.tranmer/https://therealvancity.transistor.fm/https://www.michaeltranmer.com/New episodes every Tuesday.

Meditation has been the most transformative practice I have adopted in recent years. There is undeniably something powerful in spending a few minutes to organize your thoughts, sit with your emotions, and truly be with yourself. In this episode I sit down with Vancouver's meditation expert, Farzana Jaffer Jeraj.Farzana has over 37 years of meditation experience and over 24 years of experience in the field of self-development. Farzana began her career in the coaching and motivational field in 1997 under the mentorship of Tony Robbins.Farzana is known as the "Best Kept Secret" to a small army of professional actors, executives and professional athletes. In this episode we discuss:The Five Rules For MeditationThe Importance Of Sleep For A High Performance LifeHow Meditation Organizes Your BrainYou will look at meditation in a different light after listening to this episode.Share this episode of the Real Van City on your social media to enter for a chance to win one of Farzana's books, I Cheat At Meditation, and a custom mediation and personal consultation with Farzana.◉  ◉  ◉  ◉ ◉With 37 years of experience in meditation and over 24 years of experience in the field of self-development as a motivational speaker, Farzana is a 3-time best-selling author and co-author speaking at multinational corporations, TEDTalks and many more leadership events around the globe.She has earned herself the title of "Best Kept Secret" to a small army of professional actors, executives and athletes in the NHL, NFL, FIFA and PGA. Farzana began her career in the coaching and motivational field in 1997 under the mentorship of Anthony Robbins and Joseph McClendon III.Her early studies were in Psychology and Communications and she is currently a teacher of applied neuroplasticity, hypnotherapy, neuro linguistic programming, coaching and meditation.She lends her skill set to neuroscientists at UVIC, UBC and John’s Hopkins on mindfulness. Ultimately, Farzana believes in the Constant of Self and that when you know who you truly are and what you want, nothing can stop you.Farzana believes that:"events pass, emotions don't last and that you are always."◉  ◉  ◉  ◉ ◉►FOLLOWhttps://www.instagram.com/farzanajj/►WEBSITEhttps://www.farzanajj.com/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------►The Real Van City shares inspiring conversations with Vancouver's Most Influential Leaders.https://www.instagram.com/michael.tranmer/https://therealvancity.transistor.fm/https://www.michaeltranmer.com/New episodes every Tuesday.

From the time she was born until eight years of age, Cea lived an unconventional life, raised by her grandparents and single mother, in the wilderness of Alberta and British Columbia. It was her grandfather, Papa Dick, who had the vision to escape the confines of a fear-based society and live off the freedom of the land. Cea spent her formative years sleeping in canvas teepees in free-spirited communities full of sex, drugs and partying. All Cea wanted was to be normal. As a young teenager her quest for normalcy led her to a career as an international model, which only brought a new set of challenges. She succeeded in escaping the wilderness and travelling the world, but her strained relationship with her mother persisted. At the age of thirty-seven, Cea found herself making another escape: this time from her second marriage. Now a single mother and under the additional stress of a failed business, Cea again summoned the courage to choose a better life and start over, again. It was then that she felt the pull into another journey: a six-year commitment, through endless letters of rejection, to write her unconventional story and publish what would go on to become a bestselling book (over 14,000 reviews on goodreads) that is now an award-winning film streaming across all major platforms. Now living the dream of a normal life with her husband and three kids, Cea has leaned into cultivating self-worth while pausing on the next achievement and focusing on her family. Through it all she has repeatedly applied the one fundamental lesson imparted by Papa Dick …To enter a draw for a chance to win a signed copy of her second memoir, Nearly Normal, share this episode on your social media today and tag both Cea & Michael.◉  ◉  ◉  ◉ ◉Cea is the author of North of Normal: A Memoir of My Wilderness Childhood, My Counterculture Family, and How I Survived Both and Nearly Normal: Surviving the Wilderness, My Family, and Myself (HarperCollins), which chronicle her counterculture wilderness childhood and dramatic move into an international modeling career at age thirteen. She has spoken about her unusual life at a TEDx talk, high school programs for underprivileged students, and a men’s prison, to name a few audiences. She has also written a romance series for Harlequin, taught memoir writing at Vancouver’s Capilano University and, in 2017, served as the writer-in-residence for the Creative Nonfiction MFA course at University of Kings College in Halifax. North of Normal has been made into a feature film starring Sarah Gadon, Robert Carlyle and Amanda Fix. Cea lives in Vancouver with her husband and three children.◉  ◉  ◉  ◉ ◉►FOLLOWhttps://www.instagram.com/sunshineandrosesart/https://www.facebook.com/ceasunriseperson►WEBSITEwww.ceaperson.comNorth of Normal: https://www.amazon.com/North-Normal-Wilderness-Childhood-Survived/dp/006228987X/Nearly Normal: https://www.amazon.com/Nearly-Normal-Surviving-Wilderness-Family/dp/1443452696/Film Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72BVtnwqEtE----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------►The Real Van City shares inspiring conversations with Vancouver's Most Influential Leaders.https://www.instagram.com/michael.tranmer/https://therealvancity.transistor.fm/https://www.michaeltranmer.com/New episodes every Tuesday.