Mike and Kristen

With his unique approach to live performance, Rankin MacInnis orchestrates a musical journey that spans 11-weeks over the winter months, bringing together a diverse ensemble of up to a dozen musicians. His commitment to fostering community spirit and highlighting local talent has earned him the prestigious title of Entertainer of the Year at the 2023 Music Nova Scotia Awards. In our conversation, Rankin shares insights into the pro...

Danni Mega has been kidnapped in Romania, starred on UK reality television, had her heart broken by a rock star and struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for most of her adult life. After reaching her rock-bottom, she completely turned her life around and is on a mission to self-improvement and supporting others on their journey to sobriety. A candid interview with a woman who has completely changed her life in a single year. T...

Rooted in the concept of living a virtuous life, Stoicism was born from ancient Greek ideologies of being a good person. Stoicism teaches us self-reflection, how to manage emotional reactions to things we cannot control, practicing discipline and living harmoniously with nature. Brandon embodies these qualities and maintains a sense of the Stoic practice through developing daily routines and habits. A fascinating chat that explores...

Amanda Ring has known since she was a child that she was attuned to the energy around her. Her craft and language around her work has only strengthened with time, and now she’s imparting her knowledge upon others. Her beautiful presence is palpable in this chat where we explore themes of transformation, self-discovery and childhood memories. Amanda offers a balanced perspective of “traditional” methods (she’s a former Occupational ...

We’re back from a week-long adventure in Austin, Texas where we experienced our first South by Southwest (SXSW) festival! We dig into the conference itself – how it started/how it functions, and exchange takeaways in real time. Listen to our debrief of session learnings, who we met, what we ate, how it’s shaped our future strategies, how it was funded, you name it! This was a beautiful, impactful experience for us that we hope we c...

Our dear friend, the legendary Nancy Regan has taken over the mic to host this week’s episode of Mike and Kristen! She takes us down memory lane asking how we met, what we love about each other, and how we’ve managed to maintain both collaboration and connection after 13 years of being a couple. We reveal one of our closest secrets – Mexican Superbowl – as one of our key ingredients to longevity. A behind the curtain glimpse at our...

JT, Jonovision, J-Roc, we know him by many names but he’s consistently known as our favourite Canadian icon. Jonathan Torrens started an acting career at just 15-years-old on Street Cents and we have been celebrating him ever since in shows such as Trailer Park Boys, Moonshine and Vollies. One of the kindest, funniest, most intelligent guests we’ve ever had the privilege of spending time with. We chat about living in other parts of...

Dale Murray has performed with the best – everyone from Matt Mays to Christina Martin, to his famous aunt – Nova Scotia royalty, Anne Murray. His intention is to support others to help them sound and perform to their top potential. A humble approach to the music industry. Dale’s unique spectrum of talent makes him the perfect guest to reflect on the creative process, stories from the road, taking care of himself as age creeps up on...

Though born and raised in Ontario, Steve Luxton now calls Nova Scotia home. Blame it on meeting a girl and falling in love! We’re happy to have his expertise in the music community, in particular his students at Nova Scotia Community College, who cherish his talent and guidance. We chat about his time spent at esteemed Humber College to running his own studio in Cape Breton. Steve has loads of stories, insights and pro tips to shar...

For our 100th episode we wanted to share a very special chat with our new friend, Shirley. Shirley reflects on her long and vibrant life, sharing bits of advice on longevity, hard-work, family, friendship and how it all changes with age. This inspiring centenarian found the love of her life in her early school days and shares how much their marriage offered purpose and adventure. Thank you Shirley (and Shannex) for this wonderfully...

Music has been a part of Mike Morrison’s life since he was just a kid, influenced by the talents of his father. He has played with many bands, including Rock Ranger with the late Jay Smith and now with some of his closest friends in Fire Valley Fire. We talk about musical “feel,” how he doesn’t know the origin story of his band name (LOL) and the release of a brand-new album. Have a listen to this seasoned Cape Bretoners stories of...

There’s nothing like a good break-up to set life on a new path, and that’s exactly what led Jennifer Blair to a glass shop in Toronto. It wasn’t long before she was “secretly” learning the art of glass fusion and has since launched her successful business of turning glass “blobs” into beautiful masterpieces. Learn about the process of glass fusion, how Jen’s family made a major life change during covid and how remining in a place t...

Multi award-winning artist, Jah'Mila discovered the Nova Scotia music scene during a visit with her mom, who had moved to eastern Canada to work in nursing. She found friendship, creative collaboration and loads of adoring fans in the place she now calls home. Her father – “Chinna” – played with Bob Marley’s “The Wailers” and was a strong influence on his children’s creative lives. But Jah’Mila has carved out her own path and estab...

Buckle up for this chat with the incredibly articulate, talented and soft-souled young woman, Sophia Rae. This grade 12 École Secondaire Du Sommet student reflects on her personal experience with trauma and mental health after losing her aunt in the Portapique massacre in 2020. Realizing that other teens were struggling with tools and conversations around mental health, she began offering her own public talks in effort to support h...

A profound conversation with multi-faceted artist Carmel Mikol as we dive into stories from her past. Leaving her patriarchal faith after suffering domestic abuse, Carmel shares details about the Jehovah Witnesses religion and how telling her personal experience through film (Apostate) has been a powerful way of adopting a new identity. We learn about the structure, history and inequities of being a “Witness” and how Carmel has bee...

How do you explain something that doesn’t yet exist on the creative business landscape? This chat will help explain the background, concept and intentions of the “Curiosity Club”. Curiosity Club is a trio of professional artists and entrepreneurs who specialize in facilitating creative experiences. Erin Bulger, Kristen Herrington and Steph McNamara met in 2020 and have been curating one-of-a-kind experiences ever since. Each woman ...

We wrap up 2023 by reflecting on what we’ve learned from guests, career highlights, mental health ups and downs, adventures and the wonderful new friends we’ve made along the way! Our intention was to record a “quick” episode, but it’s the same length as all the rest LOL. We reveal some exciting news about the podcast for 2024, plus our new year’s intentions. Thank you for being here with us! Lots more to come, friends xo

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The Town Heroes have been making music for over a decade and are now discovering fresh voices, sounds and songs. We wanted to do justice to the latest single from the band’s new album by dissecting the process, inspiration, compilation and life message. An important perspective on how we can let go of the daily chatter from our inner critic and step back for the broader view on our lives. Learn about the nuances of the lyrics, how ...

In this important chat with Carli Jeffrey we cover everything from processing grief to book publishing to psychedelic therapy. A woman who has already lived 1000 lives it seems shares stories of how holding space for others led to burnout and how taking care of herself looks a little different than most alternative therapies. An honest, candid and reflective episode that will help you consider your own spiritual practice. 

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