Jack joins us from his home in Atlanta, Georgia. Jack grew up as Albrecht Dittrich in post-WW2 East Germany in “The Valley of the Clueless”. He was a youth leader for the communist party and a promising young academic when he was approached by the KGB and recruited as an espionage agent.

Jason is a partner at McMillan LLP and joins us from his office in Toronto. He is a recognized top construction lawyer in the country – with soft hands, no less. But, that’s not where we go with this conversation.

Kenneth joins us from his home in Toronto. He is an award winning and best selling author of numerous novels for young readers. He is famed for writing Airborn, the Silverwing Trilogy and now his latest novels, Bloom and its sequels, Hatch and Thrive.

Avi is a philosopher and farm-boy at his core. He has spent the past several decades as a leading Astrophysicist, including a most recent decade-long stint as a department head at Harvard, having published over 700 papers and written 8 books.

We have the privilege of sitting down Safiya, who only recently fled from her native Ukraine with her daughter. We are also joined by one of our favourite past guests on the podcast, the marvelous Joan Koenig.

We speak with Lisa Good in Toronto. Lisa started out in the mail-room of an ad agency in Toronto to eventually become an Ad Exec and Managing Director of a leading and award-winning ad agency in Canada.

Bayo joins us from his home in Chennai India but grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. Losing his father as a young teen had him start a search for knowledge and meaning – a search that has intensified throughout his life.

Jill joins us from her home state of Indiana where she grew up. Jill graduated from Harvard and embarked on a career as a neuroanatomist, motivated in part by her desire to understand her brother’s schizophrenia.

Athena is originally from Johannesburg, South Africa. Athena was a highly intuitive child and learned not to demonstrate this with most, believing that there was little acceptance of these abilities in her circles.

Sharon joins us from her home in Virginia. Sharon grew up in a Christian-centric upbringing and was home-schooled at her request. After having gone away for post-secondary to NYC, she found that her new secular environment was not the fit that she expected.

We are joined by Jade Johnson at her home in London. A native of London, her (large) family moved temporarily to Liverpool when she was 7. She spent the rest of her youth driven by a deep motivation to disprove her doubters and this carried her all the way to the Olympics – twice.

Natalie joins us from her native Minnesota for our talk. After having finished a Masters in Art, Natalie worked as an archeologist in US deserts to help support her desire to continue her vocation as an artist.

We have a delightful conversation with Elisabetta, who joins us from her abode in the Apennine mountains in Abruzzo in central Italy. Elisabetta is the foremost expert on the Marsican Bear in Italy.

Today we are joined by Cat Criger in Toronto. Cat has had a life so far filled with experiences in following his curiosities. He is an Elder of the Cayuga Nation, Turtle Clan and has German and English ancestry.

We are joined this week by Julie Church on her rear porch. Our backdrop is the night sky over her backyard in Nairobi, Kenya. Julie brings us through a magically-weaved story about growing up in Kenya, with secondary and post-secondary schooling in Europe and South Africa and a life-long commitment to the magic and mystery of the sea.

George joins us from his abode in LA where he hosts his own Music Radio Show on Apple that is broadcast to over 120 countries. Originally from Toronto, George grew up with a no-nonsense single mom who taught him the importance of being of service to others.

Amy Jo is originally from Cape Cod and spent many years as an actor in Hollywood before packing up her bags and leaving for Montreal. After several years, she left for Toronto where she lives currently – devoting herself to film directing, writing and creating music.

Today we are joined by Edoardo Ghignone, who lives in The Hague, Netherlands. He is the founder of a consultancy named LTx that works with C-Suite leadership teams of large corporate organizations across Europe.

We connect with Rune, who lives in Copenhagen. Rune is a leading expert in pre-Christian Nordic Religions & Animism. Born and bred in rural Denmark, Rune explains how hints of Nordic pre-Christian tradition was woven into songs that his grandmother used to sing.

Marie joins us from Toronto. Marie is inarguably one of the country’s most public and most sought after criminal defence lawyers.

Antonia joins us from Vancouver, Canada. Antonia brings us through her experience in an idyllic US Midwest setting as a little girl, as a curious PhD student at Harvard and as a mother of four moving to Northern British Columbia and living with her adoptive Indigenous family.

Suzanne joins us from Hilton Head, South Carolina. She grew up admiring her older brother’s career in the Air Force and dreamed of a military career as well.

Carol joins us from the Toronto area. We spend some time together discussing what was important for her as she spent decades building a high profile corporate career and being a mother and wife.

Jonathan, a Toronto boy, joins us from his office in Connecticut where he plays out his days as an endovascular surgeon and a Yale professor. Jonathan lives and breathes his passion for surgery – and from that passion we discover a lot of what makes him really tick.

Marysia joins us from southern California. A “green witch”, she is a sought after herbalist and healer in the US. Her own roots lie with rabble-rousing family in Poland who were active in the Nazi resistance during WW2.

Nigel joins us from his abode in the UK. Growing up, he celebrated and channeled the emotionally charged culture of his Scottish and Irish roots, which helped him make music his lifetime muse.

We are joined by Robert in Toronto. He is currently a partner in one of the country’s oldest and largest law firms. He has Jesus COVID hair. And, he’s an Inspire alumn to boot. We immediately dive into the existential, where Rob also feels at home.

Vera joins us from the sunny Yucatan. Her focus has been bioarchaeology and archaeology of pre-Hispanic and pre-colonial Maya. As a child, she grew up in Germany under a very demanding upbringing. Being an artist at heart, she wanted to explore what was calling her.

Russell joins us from his home in California. Born during the Great Depression, Russell spent his childhood in Chicago and then NYC. A gifted learner, Russell graduated high school early and decided to study physics in College, setting the groundwork for his career as a scientist.

Joan Koenig has called Paris her home for the last several decades. She grew up playing the piano and falling in love with the flute. Originally from the US, Joan moved often and lived in many states. But one thing that didn’t change was her desire to play music.

Nicholas joins Behind Greatness from his office at Yale University in Connecticut. Nicholas grew up with two parents who had originally came to the US from Greece as young scholars. One of Nicholas’ heroes was his mother, who suffered for two decades with a form of fatal cancer.

Mike joins us from Winnipeg, Manitoba – in Central Canada. He grew up partly in Northern Ontario, Canada in poverty with a single mom. But, at 13 he quit school and started to explore the world. At 21, with 7 years of working experience and survival already under his belt, he founded Manitoba Harvest.

Maurizio currently lives in Istanbul where he leads European professional basketball powerhouse Fenerbahce SK as its General Manager. Prior to this he was the first ever non-American VP of an NBA franchise with the Toronto Raptors and one of the most successful GMs ever in Europe. We discuss a journey is riddled with serious life-altering, pivotal moments.

Indre joins us today from San Francisco. Growing up in Toronto she moved to California (for good) as a young adult to figure out her path as an Opera singer, while also on scholarship as a budding neuroscientist.

Anson joins us from London, England. His parents were originally from Jamaica and moved to Canada for a better life. He grew up just outside of Toronto with his sister. He was a natural athlete and in his late teens he found a real passion in sprinting. From there, he took off.

Carl joins us from Boston University. He shares with us how his path changed from pursuing the field medicine to that of philosophy and the classics. Ever since that pivot in his life, Carl has been dedicating his life to find the truth to our human existence.

Antoni is based in Barcelona. He grew up Lleida, Spain partly under Franco’s totalitarian regime. The harsh political conditions didn’t deter Antoni’s parents, who chose to live lives dedicated to artistic endeavour.

Anna joins us from Athens, Georgia. She was born in the Middle East of Indian parents who made sure that her education formally take place in their country of origin. As a student in India, Anna found her comfort zone in sports, non-academic endeavours and in the general exploration of people.

Mike joins us from Southern Ontario. He grew up in a small town near Niagara Falls. As a kid he helped his father deliver milk by horse and cart and was paid in dairy. Finding out later that he was lactose intolerant, he knew this might be a sign.

Bruce grew up in the suburbs of NYC, where his upbringing was rooted both in healthy skepticism and in a strong curiosity about the material world. His father, a chemist, always urged young Bruce to blaze a trail.

Cheryl was born in a small city near the Rocky Mountains nicknamed “Swan City” and a place originally settled by First Nations tribe the Danezaa. She grew up in a family where everyone pitched in and learned to do everything needed to get things done.

Federico Faggin is a successful professional, who’s originally from Vicenza, Italy. Being born during WWII has made his journey aspirational right from the beginning. Having developed a knack for building machines at such a young age, there was no doubt that he would go on to change the world.

Ken joins us from LA where he lives, works and breathes his life’s passion. Having grown up in a conservative immigrant family environment in Chicago, Ken felt that he wanted to explore more and differently than what was expected of him.

Raine joins us from his studio in LA where he shares with us about growing up in Toronto and how disconnected he felt from artistic purpose – until he wasn’t. As a teenager at his boarding school he spent his nights in solitude, devouring music, learning to play guitar and writing songs.

Mike grew up in an idyllic small-town setting near Niagara Falls, enjoying music, frog-hunting, exploring and sports. He decided to pursue his education through sports scholarship in North Carolina and his world opened up forever thereafter.

Bruno joins us all the way from Rome where he enjoyed and experienced a life full of hustle and movement. Eventually his pathways and experiences led him to launching a career in Berlin as a conservationist – wilderness – award – winning photographer and author. Now he’ll be sharing his stories from all his adventures in the deserts, mountains, and forests where he spent time simply acquiring as much knowledge as possible.

Joining us from Toronto is Jay Dahman of Syrian descent. Jay, having received education from Canada, Syria and the USA, decided on not just becoming a doctor in Canada but also dedicating his expertise to helping those less fortunate.

We’ve had the privilege to sit down with Hazel and hear how she became the global leader that she is. We follow her along her journey from Bristol, England to her career in NYC and then the rest is history.

Scott Moore is one of Canada’s top Sports Executives who oversaw billion – dollar budgets. Join us for a delightful conversation, that goes over a variety of topics that together can help you take positive steps for your life.

Joining us is Rita DeMontis, born in France and raised in Toronto. She shares her story of discovery and elation about how the welcoming the community in Toronto was to one another. We learn about how she faced her battles and overcame the barriers placed in front of her.

Colleen joins us from Rostock, Ontario where she grew up in a tight – knit community, with farm-work as an outlet for fun and creative exploration. As a young individual her aspirations led her to having an invigorating career in business, whether that be senior corporate life or entrepreneurial adventures.

Richard joins us from the rainforests of British Columbia, where he had begun his journey training as a swimmer. His talents and hard work as a competitive swimmer took him to the Olympic, PanAm and Commonwealth games at a rather young age.

Anthony Dilorio once again joins us for another segment. This time with an invigorating discussion about the journey of the founding of Ethereum – a well known global crypto platform. It’s a conversation to help encourage being successful as an entity and vouching for everyone to win.

Dr. Cicoria joins us from Upstate New York, where he grew up and started his life. Dr. Cicoria has a story that’s made for the books, he managed to survive a life-threatening experience that brought a new spark to his life.

Rob joins us from Toronto, a senior leader in the NHL. He takes us through his remarkable journey filled with life experiences that made him who he is today. He teaches us the importance of not over – indexing in your work role as well as remaining true to yourself.

We sit down with Riane Eisler, an accomplished researcher, author, professor and public speaker. Residing in Southern California, Riane briefly describes her experience as a Holocaust survivor as a little girl and her voyage to North America.

Tim grew up in rural California where he attended the only non-accredited highschool in the state. But this didn’t dissuade him from pursuing an early goal to work in the Film Industry.

Tony joins us from Houston, Texas. He shares with us his upbringing in a family with musical pedigree where his parents taught him the value of using his imagination to build and to create. He was tasked to learn the violin as a young boy and he did – but he took exception to practising it. He learned soon thereafter that his curiosities instead lay with actually composing music. Contd…

Ryan joins us from rural New Brunswick, in Atlantic Canada. Coming from a line of hard-working potato farmers, a very young Ryan thought about how he could continue the family business, but doing it his own way.

Valentino joins us from Manchester, England where he acts as a Curator and Lecturer at of one of Europe’s leading edge Schools of future storytelling: the School of Digital Arts (SODA). Originally from Rome, Valentino lost himself in his formative years after the sudden death of his father, until he started to consume what he left for him: his movie collection.

Born and bred in Southern California, Troy gives us a glimpse of growing up in a musical family. His father and uncle who formed the duo the “Brothers Johnson” had profound influence on music in the 70s and 80s. Born in the 1980s, Troy also took to musical creation immediately, preferring to spend time even as a small child and pre-teen in a music studio above all.

Sue was born and bred in Buffalo, New York. She developed a desire for a career in healthcare and pursued studies in NY and North Carolina and when her life took a turn, so did she. Off to Arizona for no reason at all and very little money to her name, she started a journey with a little bit of Billy Joel and whole lot of hustle.

Growing up in Ontario, Canada, Kelly attended 10 different schools as a child until settling in Welland (Niagara region) for highschool. She lived in a chaotic household but lived it the best way she could – with a heightened sense of responsibility, “buttoned-downness” and an acute need for high-achievement in school and sports.

As a youngster growing up just outside of Toronto, Anthony lived in an entrepreneurial environment. His father, an inventor, instilled in him the importance of being curious, asking questions and breaking through. With authority never sitting right with him as a boy, he chose to explore his own path as a young man after a brief stint in the family business.

Marjorie joins us from Sedona, Arizona. She grew up in a family where the wonder of music, art and literature defined much of her existence as a young girl. Armed with a natural intellectual curiosity and a profound admiration of both musical expression and scientific exploration, Marjorie embarked on both early on in her studies.

Matt grew up in New York in a close-knit family who encouraged him to both dream big and to keep his eye on the pragmatic. We discuss his proactive search for his passion as a young man as he bobbed and weaved through a brief but explosive stint as an aspiring boxer, an early marketing career working in Times Square and with a side-hustle as a sports agent.

We sit with Alison Coville, in Toronto. Alison was born and bred in Ontario, Canada. She found her passion in the retail business as a teenager. She dove head first into this journey until she reached the pinnacle of her industry.

Dr. Elisabet Sahtouris joins us from Honolulu, Hawaii. Elisabet grew up in Athens, New York and as a child was actively encouraged to explore the biological world around her. She went on to attain a Masters in Fine Arts, History & Languages and then a PhD in Evolution Biology.

Joshua Cassidy is a 3 x Paralympian and is preparing for his 4th Paralympic games in Tokyo. He is a 31 x racing champion with world record times at the 2012 Boston Marathon. The oldest of 10 children, he spent his first 5 years in hospital fighting a non-congenital cancer – and won.

Today we chat with Julie Yoo in Toronto. Julie is the owner of I Miss You Vintage and was recently chosen for the front cover of a national business magazine as representative of all small business owners: all dubbed “CEO of the year”. Julie catapulted the scope of her business from local to global as an adaptive response to the pandemic in early 2020.

We are joined by Rob Zepp. He currently works at the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA). Before this, Rob was a professional hockey player in both Europe and in the NHL, taking the crown as the oldest rookie in the NHL since 1927 to win his debut.

We sit down with Marc today and talk about his journey from his native of Minneapolis to law school and then to living out a professional coaching career in 14 different cities in the US and Canada. He shares his thoughts on leading by authenticity, consistency, relentlessness – and by love of others.

We speak this week with Steve Lichtman in California, a veteran TV series writer and producer. A deep thinker and excellent conversationalist, Steve brings us through his journey and his own philosophies on what really matters. He reminisces with us on his Long Island upbringing and his time as a young academic and lawyer grinding in NYC.

Today we sit down with Gunnar Peterson in Beverly Hills. Gunnar is one of the most highly respected Personal Training & Fitness entrepreneurs in North America and a “go-to” personal trainer for Hollywood celebs.

Adrian is the CEO and Co-Founder of MOSHN.fit, an on-demand streaming fitness platform that connects trainees with world-class coaches. A long time friend to Inspire, Adrian has worked as a top Digital Marketing and Advertising Exec (and Agency Owner) for the better part of 20 years.

We spent some time with PJ Byrne: a veteran film, TV and voice actor, living in California. In college, he was preparing for a career in high finance. Having already secured a job on Wall St before he graduated, he started to discover (by chance) his thespian talents. With family roots in business and politics, young PJ never imagined acting as a life-long pursuit. Contd…

In this episode, we spend some time with John S. Couch, who lives and works – and plays – in California. We dive immediately into discussing themes of life, work and the creative process. He brings us briefly through his experience in building teams and what philosophy he employs in building positive culture. Contd…

Today we sit down and have a camp fire chat with Tyson Yunkaporta. With origins from the Apalech tribe in Northern Australia, Tyson is a Best Selling Author, an Artist and a Senior Lecturer at Deakin University, living in Melbourne Australia. We have an insightful conversation on First People’s philosophy of thinking, perceiving and exploring the world. Contd…

We sit down with Matt Larochelle, an entrepreneur and co-founder of Matt & Steve’s in Toronto. Matt charms us with his down-to-earth approach to life and how his small town roots have been important to him in his path of self-discovery. He brings us through some of his adventures in starting his business with his partner Steve: from jars exploding in his apartment to trying to make ends meet while servicing a growing demand for their products. Contd…

Giacomo Gianniotti spends some time on Behind Greatness to discuss and explore his thoughts on driving change and making impact. We learn how a young Giacomo felt the need to fit in and blend in as an “outsider” for years after he moved from his native Italy. But when his parents saw that he had to free himself from this debilitation, they took action. And this is when his real growth began to take hold. Contd…

Eric San (aka “Kid Koala”) sits down with us to talk about his take on success. He grew up both in the US and in Canada with hard-skilled, no-nonsense immigrant parents who also had an appreciation for music. They started little Eric training as a classical piano player until his piano teacher became annoyed by his experimentation with notes to spin his own musical experience. And spinning he did. Starting by using hamburger wrappers as slip sheets on his sister’s turntable as a 12 year old, Eric went on to spend his adult years touring 6 continents with big bands as a trail-blazing Scratch DJ. Contd…

We are joined by Mary Dalimonte, a 40-year veteran of food retailing and distribution and a venerated industry trail-blazer in Canada. Recently stepping down from her SVP role at Sobeys – the country’s 2nd largest retailer – Mary shares with us the pivotal lessons she learned throughout her career. The daughter of immigrant parents, she learned very early the wisdom of working hard and showing up prepared day in and day out for the job at hand. Contd…

We sit down with Brian, currently a Founder and Managing Director of Play4Tomorrow – a leading design academy and tech accelerator for positive youth development. Brian brings us through his own challenges as a youth growing up fascinated by games and fantastical fictional worlds. He was soon encouraged to take a different, more athletically-centered career as he grew in physical stature and showed athletic promise. Not one for wasting time, Brian leveraged his scholarship status at Stanford in California and graduated with engineering and management science degrees after playing division 1 football. Contd…

As a young boy, Merv and his siblings moved from a comfortable life in sunny, tropical Jamaica to Toronto. We learn about the strongest influences in his life: his polymath father and his fiercely dedicated mother. For them high educational achievement for their kids was a basic expectation. Contd…

Growing up in a loving, hardworking immigrant family in Youngstown, Ohio, Michael was a natural athlete gravitating to competitive team sports at an early age. When an injury put the brakes on a potential career in football he found that one passion never left him: story-telling. Armed with both the love of reading and creating stories and the support of strong mentors, Michael decided to strike out on his own as a writer. Contd…

Mark joins us from Silicon Valley where he served as Partner at his firm until early 2020. A Princeton grad, he worked his way through a career of gruelling and stressful working environments in order to achieve his material goals. Until he didn’t. Contd…

Today, we spend some time with Chris Duffin, in Portland, Oregon. During our discussion, we learn about a boy who endured extreme hardships growing up in the remote mountains of California. Barely out of his adolescence, he took custody of his younger siblings while working full-time, running a business on the weekends and completing his engineering degree. He is a father and a husband, an entrepreneur, a brand builder, an author, a speaker, a coach, a custom-vehicle builder AND a record-holding power lifter to boot. Contd…

We join in conversation this week with one of the most influential women in the world of AI & AI Ethics. Dr. Sateli brings us through her journey as a young girl in Tehran to a high-octane phd student, developer and entrepreneur in Montreal to a renowned globe trotting AI Analytics and Ethics specialist. Contd…

We sit down with our friend Alex Rechichi, another long time Advisor to Inspire and an accomplished, seasoned entrepreneur – and podcaster too. Listen to his thoughts on the importance of “visible leadership” and working shoulder to shoulder with your team. He has run his own businesses (with his two partners) since graduating from university and has never looked back. Contd…

Speaking with power couple Jennifer and Sudz, we get a glimpse of two different paths – until they fused into one. Contd…

Growing up in the US Midwest in a strong family unit with an eye for business, John felt destined to join his father and older brother when he embarked on his post-secondary years. But his path changed on his 1st day of university. Armed with a passion to pursue his authentic self John, provides a glimpse on how he discovered that it was his passion to tell a good story and create a unique experience with his contestants that has enabled him to be great at what he does. Contd…

Having grown up in a quiet, calm Prairie life with a loving family, Brice decided at an early age to pursue his life path in larger settings with the goal of making a larger impact. With his partner Anthony Lacavera, he spent many long grinding years building Wind Mobile within a fierce, unforgiving and oligopolistic space. After finally selling the company with his partner for well over $1 billion, Brice began to reflect on his experience on the importance of staying resilient: sticking to the mission and simply putting one foot in front of the other. Contd…

This week we are hosting Daniele Bolelli. Originally from Milan, Italy, Daniele has been calling California home for almost 30 years. A man who strives to be good at many things so that he’s never bored, Daniele also hosts two widely popular podcasts, including History on Fire – one of the most successful history podcasts on Earth. Contd…

Engrained with the entrepreneurial spirit, Mark Josephs takes us on his journey of family, perseverance and faith. He speaks to the importance of learning from others and finding his leadership style, especially during unprecedented times. Contd…

We are host this week to a very charismatic guest in Alex King. He’s not an engineer, nor an architect, nor a mechanic – and yet he organizes builds of custom vehicles for many Hollywood blockbuster films. How? Contd…

Today we listen to a captivating story about a fiercely independent professional who grew up toughened by circumstances out of his control. Contd…

Today’s guest is one of North America’s most successful corporate leaders. Growing up in the country, she learned very early the importance of hard work, collaboration, humility and learning from those around her that wished her success. Contd…

Join us in hearing the story of Raj De Datta as he travelled from his upbringings in Manila, Philippines, and India to attending school at Princeton, then helping launch a company in England where he found his true calling as an entrepreneur. Contd…

Enjoy our discussion with Dr. Meganne Christian. Originally from Australia, Christian works currently in the EU studying the production and microscopical characterisation of graphene-based nanocomposites. But, that’s not all. Contd…

Listen in on our talk with Frank Ferragine aka “Frankie Flowers” – North America’s favourite TV gardening specialist. He describes growing up in a “can-do” family atmosphere, with roots in humble beginnings.

Listen in as we chat with Ashish Shastry, Co-Head of Private Equity for KKR Asia Pacific & Southeast Asia as he describes his journey growing up in Bombay and Indonesia and then traveling to various parts of the world for school and work. He describes the influence his parents had on his decisions and the importance that mentors will have on your journey and career. Contd…

We sit down with Alexandra Orlando, an Olympian and National Champion in Rhythmic Gymnastics who details a youth-story full of sacrifice and determination. Growing up with understanding parents, Alexandra had the opportunity to explore her passion in motion and pushing herself to her limits – on the world stage. Contd…

Behind Greatness sits down with tech specialist Max Catricala in Rome, Italy, after returning from a year-long assignment in the middle of the Antarctic (at Concordia Base). Although the details of the ESA project are classified, Max shares his experience living in the coldest and most desolate part of the globe while captaining a select team of European scientists. Contd…

Listen in on a very intense story of a young man growing up in a troubled environment in Detroit that was out of his control. Being blessed with the support of his mentors – one being his father – Matt embarked on a path of discovery. Contd…

Behind Greatness plays host to Denis Molin, a Paris-based scientific scholar, practitioner, inventor and polymath. Denis describes his early fascination with maths and science and how it has played a part in his path to work with large corporations and AI frameworks. Contd…

Sit back and listen in on our interview with one of Canada’s top interviewers. Melissa walks us through how she uncovered and chased her passion even after beginning a stable and noble career. Contd…

Explore our conversation with veteran actor Enrico Colantoni as he describes his humble origins and pursuit to achieving what he wanted most despite facing a steep, uphill and unfamiliar path. Contd…

Welcome to our podcast channel! Behind Greatness aims to walk listeners through the journey of some of today’s leaders around the globe and how they are finding success. Gathering firsthand accounts from these leaders, our goal is for this channel to become a source of wisdom and inspiration as you continue to carve and live your own path.