Podcast
The Best You - A Coaching Podcast: Personal Growth Through Real Conversations
Hosted by Gary Gillan · EN
Feeling stuck or unsure how to unlock your full potential?
Here's the truth: you are the best person in the entire world at being you - even if you don't quite believe that yet. Through real conversations with innovators, coaches, and everyday people navigating their own personal growth journeys, this podcast helps you gain self-awareness, build confidence, and create lasting change.
Each week, we explore the breakthroughs, struggles, and insights that help you understand what makes you tick and how to become the best version of yourself.
New episodes every week. Start your journey with our latest episode on innovative learning and personal growth.
41episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
How Women Are Redefining Entrepreneurship with Krystal Eicher & Wendy Guth
Mar 2300:45:00Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailWhat does it really take to build a business that fits your life - not the other way around? Krystal Eicher and Wendy Guth, co-founders of Serendipitous Rebel, have lived the messy, non-linear, beautifully imperfect truth of female entrepreneurship - and distilled it into a holistic framework that helps women find joy, alignment, and real momentum in their businesses.This framework is designed to help you learn directly from their lessons so that you can get to where you want to be, quicker and with less bumps in the road.Perfect for: Women entrepreneurs who are overwhelmed by noise, quietly burning out behind a confident exterior, or struggling to find alignment between who they are and the business they're building. Your transformation: The SAVOUR framework will challenge you to put alignment, self-awareness, and joy at the centre of your business — before strategy, before tactics, before anything else. Key takeaways:Alignment isn't optional - without it, you end up with a 'Frankenstein' business built from everyone else's advice that never quite works for youJust because you can doesn't mean you should - saying no to the wrong things is how you say yes to better opportunities, better products, and better clientsHigh-functioning anxiety is not a badge of honour; it's the fast lane to burnoutEntrepreneurship is lonely by design, and community isn't a luxury - it's the missing infrastructure most solo business owners needYour calendar is your strategy - if your health, relationships, and joy aren't scheduled, they won't happenYou can see more from Krystal and Wendy here:Website: SerendipitousRebelInstagram: SerendipitousRebelPodcast: SerendipitousRebelGary's Website | LinkedIn | Facebook
Transcribe →If Not You, Then Who? Building your Personal Brand Unique to You with Katrena Friel
Mar 1700:49:22Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailDo you think you need another online course to finally start your business? What you actually need is someone to ask: if not you, then who?Katrena Friel, award-winning author and business mentor, shares how a $30,000 scam became the catalyst for building a 25-year career helping entrepreneurs launch personal brand businesses. In this chat, Katrena reveals the ecosystem approach that gets people from dream to reality in just 90 days.Discover why 75% of online programs never get opened, how speaking live beats social media clickbait every time, and why being 'ordinary' is actually okay.Perfect for: Anyone seeking innovative approaches to personal branding, leadership, and self-improvement through authentic business building.Your transformation: Shift from consuming endless courses and searching for 'the secret' to building a complete business ecosystem that launches in 90 days.Key takeaways:Your unique philosophy comes from your lived experience - no one else can deliver itThe book comes first - it creates your philosophy, which creates your keynote, which creates your signature programRest is your greatest ally in the marathon of entrepreneurship - hustle culture is a lie that leads to burnout90% of people are 'ordinary' and that's okayYou can see more from Katrena here:LinkedIn: Katrena FrielWebsite: Becoming The ExpertGary's Website | LinkedIn | Facebook
Transcribe →Authenticity in Leadership: Building Success Through Hard Work and Personal Growth with Pilar Mitchell
Mar 900:45:25Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailWould you say passion and competence are enough to command respect in the boardroom? It depends who you are. My belief is that for many women leaders, there's an invisible rulebook most people never talk about.Pilar Mitchell, senior attorney and partner at Michael Sullivan and Associates, shares her journey from wanting to make her Peruvian grandmother proud to leading multiple offices and pioneering new business divisions. Perfect for: Women in leadership, legal professionals, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking innovative approaches to career advancement, personal growth, and authentic self-improvement.Your transformation: Shift from performing who you think you need to be to showing up authentically while mastering the composure that commands respect.Key takeaways:Listening more and speaking with calm certainty commands more respect than talking loudly or frequentlyOutworking your peers isn't as difficult as it seems when discipline and work ethic become your natural stateThe best entrepreneurial opportunities exist within your expertiseAuthenticity enables sustainable successYou can see more from Pilar here:LinkedIn: Pilar MitchellWebsite: Sullivan AttorneysGary's Website | LinkedIn | Facebook
Transcribe →Women's Empowerment in Tech: Breaking Barriers by Hiring Outside the Box with April Hicke
Mar 200:39:34Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailStudies have shown that women are exponentially less likely to apply for a role because they don’t have every single qualification and experience listed in the job description. That’s just not cool and it’s a huge loss for the workplace. April shares her journey from foster care to leading Canada's first female-focused tech talent partner. From being diagnosed with ADHD at eight to revolutionizing how companies think about diversity hiring, April reveals why traditional recruitment kills innovation and how one person looking past her resume changed everything.Perfect for: Women in tech, job seekers, hiring managers, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking innovative approaches to career advancement, leadership, and self-improvement through bold action.Your transformation: Shift from waiting until you're ‘fully qualified’ to understanding that grit, resourcefulness, and potential matter more than checking every box.Key takeaways:A job description is a wish list, not a mandate - apply anywayAdaptability and problem-solving are skills that organizations desperately need70% of roles likely to be automated are held by women, yet women aren't involved in developing AI solutionsYour core story is more valuable than any bullet point on your resumeYou can see more from April here:LinkedIn: April HickeWebsite: Try ToastGary's Website | LinkedIn | Facebook
Transcribe →Transforming Education Through Trust: Why Teacher Observations Should Build Up, Not Break Down with Craig Randall
Feb 2300:42:34Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailHow do you learn best on the job - from someone constantly pointing out what you’re doing is wrong, or from a supportive and trust-based dialogue perspective?I know my preference in all areas of my life - not just the classroom. Craig is the creator of Trust-Based Observations and we discuss why traditional teacher evaluations kill innovation and how focusing on strengths transforms teacher experience and entire school cultures. Discover why collective teacher efficacy has four times the impact of other educational interventions, how asking permission before offering suggestions changes everything, and why the best mentorship often comes when you least expect it.Perfect for: Educators, school leaders, coaches, managers, and anyone seeking innovative approaches to leadership, personal growth, and building high-performing teams through trust.Your transformation: Shift from a deficit-focused evaluation mindset to a strengths-based approach that creates psychological safety and inspires genuine growth.Key takeaways:Traditional observations focus on what's wrong, not what’s rightAsking "What were you doing to help students learn?" helps teachers become more purposeful and reflectiveBuilding trust takes timeWhen you create conditions where people feel safe trying new things, growth follows You can see more from Craig here:Website: Trust Based ObservationsLinkedIn: Craig RandallGary's Website | LinkedIn | Facebook
Transcribe →The Raw Truth About Trauma Recovery: Why Healing Requires More Than Just Showing Up with Bianca Thomas
Feb 1600:45:22Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailTrauma recovery is not about feeling ready.Bianca, mental health counsellor and co-founder of Evolve Ventures, shares the honest truth about healing from trauma that most therapists won't tell you. From facing severe borderline personality disorder to nearly losing her business partnership, Bianca reveals why there's never a 'right time' to start therapy and why the work will be harder than you imagine - but worth it.Discover why trauma is actually a memory disorder, how your narrative shapes your healing, and why pretending to be confident will sabotage your personal growth faster than admitting you're struggling.Perfect for: Anyone struggling with mental health challenges, seeking authentic self-improvement, or looking for innovative approaches to trauma recovery.Your transformation: Shift from waiting for the 'right time' to heal to understanding that the best time was yesterday - and the next best time is today.Key takeaways:There is never a "right time" to start therapy.Trauma is better understood as a memory disorder shaped by the narratives and beliefs you create in the aftermath of events.Real confidence comes from doing the internal work.Deep journaling that explores patterns and cycles creates lasting change.Expecting therapy to be comfortable means you're probably not getting good therapy.You can see more from Bianca here:Website: Evolve VenturesLinkedIn: Bianca ThomasGary's Website | LinkedIn | Facebook
Transcribe →Breaking Autism Stereotypes: Celebrating Neurodiversity for Inclusion with Sam Mitchell
Feb 900:23:12Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailStruggling to understand how to support neurodiversity in your workplace or community?Sam Mitchell, autism advocate and host of Autism Rocks and Rolls podcast, shares his personal journey navigating a world that often misunderstands autism. From facing bullying in mainstream schooling to becoming a Davy Award-winning podcaster and TEDx speaker, Sam reveals why people with autism don't need to be "fixed" - they need opportunity.Perfect for: Leaders, educators, employers, and anyone seeking innovative approaches to inclusion, personal growth, and celebrating human differences.Your transformation: Shift from viewing autism as something to 'cure' to recognizing neurodiversity as a valuable asset in your community and workplace.Key takeaways:Autism exists on a spectrum with vastly different experiences and capabilities across individuals.85% of people with autism lack full-time employment due to workplace stigma and misunderstanding.Society needs to adapt and create space rather than expecting individuals with autism to conform.Media representation often portrays autism negatively, perpetuating harmful stereotypes.You can see more from Sam here:Website: Autism Rocks & RollsGary's Website | LinkedIn | Facebook
Transcribe →Loss, Endurance, and Living Deliberately: How Grief Creates Purpose and Personal Growth with Kevin Crowe
Feb 200:41:53Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailThink you'll start living deliberately "someday"? Your dying friend would tell you that day needs to be today.Kevin Crowe, founder of Give A Mile, shares the profound lessons learned from walking alongside his best friend through terminal brain cancer. From that heartbreak came a charity that's provided over 1,400 flights to connect dying people with their loved ones for final goodbyes.Discover why the hardest moments reveal what truly matters, how a 650-kilometer Arctic ultra-marathon in -50°C teaches you about yourself, and why designing your life with the end in mind creates the clarity most people never find.Perfect for: Anyone seeking to live with intention, build meaningful impact, achieve personal growth, and embrace self-improvement.Your transformation: Shift from sleepwalking through life waiting for "someday" to deliberately designing each day around what truly matters.Key takeaways:The best time to start living deliberately is today, not six months from now.Presence matters more than perfection.Writing your obituary and working backwards creates deliberate life design most people never attempt.Time is your greatest enemy and most precious resource - use it deliberately.You can see more from Kevin here:Website: Give a MileLinkedIn: Kevin CroweGary's Website | LinkedIn | Facebook
Transcribe →The Business of Being an Olympian: Balancing Athletic Excellence with Personal Growth with Courtney Hoffos
Jan 2600:54:01Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailNote: This episode was recorded as Courtney was preparing for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games. Unfortunately, Courtney suffered a tibial plateau, medial collateral ligament, and meniscus injury competing prior to the Olympics and will miss the games. 💔Think becoming an Olympian means automatic sponsorships and financial security? Think again.Courtney Hoffos, Canadian Olympic ski cross athlete and World Championship medalist, reveals the hidden business side of elite sport that most people never see. Courtney shares the real cost of chasing Olympic glory.Discover why athletes need entrepreneurial skills as much as athletic talent, how to balance life with World Cup competition, and the power of the three C's - confidence, calm, and compassion - in achieving personal growth both on and off the snow.Perfect for: Athletes, aspiring Olympians, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking innovative approaches to balancing multiple priorities while pursuing excellence and self-improvement.Your transformation: Shift from viewing athletic success as purely performance-based to understanding the critical business and personal branding skills required to thrive as a modern athlete.Key takeaways:Building a personal brand and securing sponsorships requires the same hustle as athletic training.Finding purpose and intention in every training session transforms mundane work into meaningful progress.The three C's - Confidence, Calm, and Compassion - create the foundation for peak performance and personal growth.Taking time away from your primary focus can actually enhance performance by providing essential mental breaks.You can see more from Courtney here:Instagram: Courtney HoffosLinkedIn: Courtney Hoffos OLYWebsite: Courtney HoffosGary's Website | LinkedIn | Facebook
Transcribe →Why Humour Matters in Leadership: Your Essential Tool for Personal Growth and Connection with Karyn Buxman
Jan 1900:49:03Tap to summarizeSend us Fan MailDo you struggle to connect authentically with your team or feeling burned out as a leader? This could be caused by a humour deficiency in your life.Karyn Buxman, neuro-humorist and founder of The Human Lab, reveals why humour isn't just about entertainment - it's a powerful tool for influence, wellbeing, and personal growth. We discuss Karyn's three purposes of humour, how to use it without being "the funny one," and why starting your day with humour can rewire your brain for resilience.Karyn teaches us the competencies that prevent humour from falling flat, how to create psychological safety through levity, and why coaches and leaders who embrace humour build stronger connections and drive better results.Perfect for: Leaders, coaches, and professionals seeking innovative approaches to authentic leadership, team connection, and self-improvement through the science of humour.Your transformation: Shift from viewing humour as frivolous to leveraging it strategically for influence, wellbeing, and genuine human connection.Key takeaways:Humour serves three distinct purposes: entertainment, influence, and wellbeing.You don't have to be funny to leverage humour effectively in leadership and coaching.A daily practice of seeking and sharing humour rewires your brain for resilience and connection.There are seven competencies that determine whether humour lands or falls flat (bond, context, authenticity, safety, timing, content, and delivery).You can see more from Karyn here:Website: Karyn BuxmanLinkedIn: Karyn Buxman Gary's Website | LinkedIn | Facebook
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