Stacey Harrison is the Executive Director of the Colchester East Hants Hospice Society, a community-based organization that educates, supports, and provides tools to empower those struggling with grief. After spending much of her career in the private sector, she moved to not for profit in 2018 after the death of her mom and is passionate about supporting community. In addition to her work, she spends time in a number of volunteer positions, is a certified yoga instructor, small business owner but most importantly, spends time with her husband Jason and their chocolate lab, Nala planning her next travel adventure!
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Laura Simpson is the CEO and co-founder (along Dan Mangan) of Side Door. Side Door’s mission to create shows anytime, anywhere. The platform marketplace connects artists with hosts of spaces to create shows. They make booking, ticketing and payments easy and transparent, without any up-front costs to the user. Laura has spent much of her life serving the needs of artists and promoting live performance. She spent time working mostly behind the scenes at music non-profits, festivals and as an export development program officer. She has hosted house concerts (aka The Syrup Factory) since 2011. She believes experiencing amazing live art in intimate community settings leads to stronger human connection, greater empathy and improved mental health.
Born and raised in Vancouver, she inherited a love for exploration that took her across the globe before settling in Nova Scotia for the past 13 years. As a mother of two, she made the bold decision to leave behind a conventional government job to pursue a more fulfilling and independent career. Driven by her passion for creativity and entrepreneurship, she has carved out a diverse path for herself. Whether she's creating content, managing social media, speaking, making art, or writing, Her approach to every endeavor is infused with the mindset and manifestation skills she's developed over time. She is best known for her #1 Amazon best-seller "Our Best NS Adventure Journal," a project to encourage and inspire Nova Scotians to get out there and explore their own backyard. Through her work, she encourages others to embrace their passions and pursue their own adventures, wherever they may lead. Link to Journal: https://amzn.to/3Q1eT4X
Mandy Wood is proudly a mental health work-in-progress. A radio announcer in Truro, NS for 20+ years, Mandy co-hosts the Pure Country Morning Show. She is also a wife, mother and sexual assault survivor. Mandy has major depressive disorder, C-PTSD and a history of severe panic attacks and self-harm. She shares her story to help confront and eliminate stigmas and stereotypes; but most of all, to show there is hope — You can be at your darkest point and still feel the sunshine again.
*Trigger Warning: This conversation includes references to suicidal thoughts, self harm and sexual abuse. To anyone who may need help to cope with their mental health and/or thoughts of suicide, please, please, please reach out for help. Canada Suicide Prevention: • 1-833-456-4566 (phone) • 45645 (text) • www.crisisservicescanada.ca (chat) Please connect with a sexual assault centre or transition house in your local area: https://endingviolencecanada.org/sexual-assault-centres-crisis-lines-and-support-services/
Starr Cunningham is the President & CEO of the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia.
She is a National Recipient of a ‘Difference Makers - 150 Canadians Leading for Mental Health Award’. Starr currently serves on the Atlantic Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund Advisory Committee. She is Communications Chair for the International Women’s Forum – Atlantic and serves on the National IWF Committee. Starr is a Director of the Board for St. John Ambulance Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island, invested into the Order of St. John, and a member of the National Honours & Awards Committee of the Priory of Canada. Starr was recently honoured with a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for her work in mental health. A best-selling children’s author and multiple journalism award winner, Starr is a strong voice and recognized personality across the Atlantic region.
Award-winning actor Lenore Zann burst onto the entertainment scene with her powerful portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in the rock opera Hey Marilyn! She has since performed across North America and in Europe with hundreds of credits in Film, TV, Theatre, Radio, and Animation including her own one-woman play, The Marilyn Tapes, in New York.
Recent feature film roles include “Bevette“ in filmmaker Thom Fitzgerald’s Stage Mother with (fellow Australian) Academy Award Nominee Jacki Weaver, and “Gladys Madone” in Barrie Dunn’s The Madones. A tireless champion of Arts and Culture, Women, Diversity, and Social and Environmental Justice, Lenore served for twelve years (2009-2021) as a popular elected official in both provincial and federal levels of Government in Canada. Her Private Member’s Bills, “Act to Address Environmental Racism introduced in Province House, Halifax, in 2014, and federal “National Strategy to Address Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Act” have been widely hailed as the first Bills of their kind in North America. Beloved by fans around the world for her voice as the iconic “Rogue” in the 90’s X-Men: The Animated Series, Zann is currently reprising her role in the new Marvel series X-Men ‘97 streaming on Disney+. And her memoir, Lenore Zann: A Rogue’s Tale, will be published in fall 2024 by Pottersfield Press with distribution by Nimbus Publishing and available on Amazon. Lenore is the grateful recipient of several awards: Earl Grey Public Speaking Contest (Gold), ACTRA Award for Best Actress in a Radio Drama, Duke of Edinburgh Gold Lifetime Award for Service to Community & Country, and Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to Arts and Culture. ------------------------------------------------------ *Trigger Warning: This conversation includes references to suicidal thoughts. To anyone who may need help to cope with their mental health and/or thoughts of suicide, please, please, please reach out for help. Canada Suicide Prevention: • 1-833-456-4566 (phone) • 45645 (text) • www.crisisservicescanada.ca (chat) Alcoholics Anonymous: https://www.aa.org -----------------------------------
Sharon Ishimwe is a storyteller and the founder of Engero Productions. After years of storytelling through writing, public speaking, and working on documentary sets such as Nee Nee Productions’ multi award winning film Sauti, Sharon produced and directed her debut movie, Ssekukkulu: A Ugandan Christmas in 2023. Sharon is also the Executive Director of MacPhee Centre for Creative Learning, and the co-founder of an early-stage startup, Lunch Buddies. A proponent of radical trust, she is passionate about connecting people and building meaningful relationships. She enjoys questions more than answers and her superpower is spotting silver linings. Sharon holds a master’s degree in public relations from Mount Saint Vincent University where she graduated Valedictorian and received the Senate Medal of Distinction. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and communications from Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.
Crawford is a food enthusiast since birth. They won MasterChef Canada in 2019, and began their pro-wrestling career in Nova Scotia shortly thereafter.
Caring deeply, trying hard, and making things are their favourite pastimes. These days, they’ve either got their head down writing or high in the clouds scheming wrestling matches and menus. ------------------------------------------------------ Theme song produced, recorded, mixed, by John Mullane for Let Me Overthink About It. Written by John Mullane. Edited by Jann McFarlane Digital Media Proudly supported by Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia
Menna Riley is a Producer, Connector, Speaker, and Founder of Leading Ladies Networking. With over two decades of experience managing successful events for her clients, Menna is passionate about delivering experiences that inform, engage, and create value.
Menna’s event management work includes world-class performance festivals, Tall Ships and the World Cup Equestrian Qualifying championships, and the IIHF World Junior Hockey championships. She has worked with award-winning PR & marketing agencies, in the music, tv, film and financial industries and has managed some of the region’s most notable industry awards shows and corporate events. Menna has worked with many charitable organizations including running over two dozen golf tournaments, several high-profile galas, weddings, and private events including two separate events with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In January 2012, Menna founded Leading Ladies Networking which has been growing ever since, elevating the overall networking landscape for women in business in Nova Scotia. After countless testimonials, she is proud to say she’s facilitated innumerable connections, collaborations, opportunities, and relationships throughout the years. ------------------------------------------------------ Theme song produced, recorded, mixed, by John Mullane for Let Me Overthink About It. Written by John Mullane. Edited by Jann McFarlane Digital Media Proudly supported by Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia
Kiley White (she/her) is a passionate advocate, artist and entrepreneur. With a background in social services, Kiley is currently working supporting/advocating for local 2SLGBTQIA+ folks in her community. Alongside this work, Kiley has several passion projects including previously co-hosting Find Your Groove Podcast and launching her own podcast, “Groovin’”! Kiley is also working on a Masters degree in Counselling Psychology with a special interest in somatic, transpersonal and creative approaches.
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A SERIES OF TOPICS THAT OCCUPY MY ANXIOUS MIND. Archives
April 2024
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