Leading Through Stories

About Leading Through Stories

Co-Created is a podcast that takes you behind the scenes of digital storytelling. Hosted by Kristy Wolfe (https://www.kristywolfestories.com/), each episode features conversations with storytellers and facilitators who craft powerful digital stories, diving into how these stories are created, who shares them, and why they matter. Whether you're fascinated by storytelling or love discovering new perspectives, this podcast offers a deep dive into the art of meaningful narrative. Co-Created is presented by Common Language DST (https://commonlanguagedst.org/), a leader in digital storytelling facilitation training for health and wellness changemakers. Supported by the team at Snack Labs, this podcast is a collaborative effort that promotes ethical storytelling and empowers audiences to engage with personal stories in a deeper way. Subscribe and listen wherever you get your podcasts! Sound Design: Donovan Morgan Music: Doldrums by Ellen Braun (https://ellenbraun.bandcamp.com/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Snack Labs

Category

education · health & fitness · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

28 Sept 2022

Latest episode

2 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

73 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Sept 2026

   Can a Story Change Veterinary Medicine?

   If you care about storyteller wellbeing, healthcare burnout, or ethical digital storytelling, this conversation will stay with you. Kristy Wolfe is joined by Dr. Marie Holowaychuk (https://marieholowaychuk.com/), veterinarian, speaker, author, and mental health advocate, to talk about the digital story she co-created with Angie Turner (https://www.soslegacies.com/) for the Common Language Story Slam. Marie shares the lived experience behind her digital story, Human After All (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdnuClAZgnc), and why telling a story about burnout, shame, and recovery felt necessary for veterinary medicine. Together, they explore: how burnout showed up across Marie’s career in veterinary practice and academia why she chose to tell the story of a devastating clinical mistake what changed when that story became a digital story how images, pacing, and music deepened the emotional impact what it felt like to watch the story with a live audience why reflection and conversation matter after a story is shared how this work connects to caregiver wellbeing far beyond vet med This is a thoughtful episode for veterinarians, healthcare workers, educators, facilitators, and anyone interested in how stories can make space for honesty, repair, and meaningful dialogue. If this conversation resonates, you may also want to listen to Episode 48: Resilient Stories in Vet Education (https://shows.acast.com/co-created/episodes/resilience-stories-in-vet-education), featuring Angie Turner. Other Links Mentioned: Marie's digital story at the Common Language Story Slam (https://youtu.be/cT9CHjgHcQw?si=jaNZLtq22OOotufL&t=1563) DST Facilitator Angie Turner of SOS Legacies (https://www.soslegacies.com/) This episode's blog post (https://commonlanguagedst.org/blog/can-a-story-change-veterinary-medicine) About Our Guest Dr. Marie Holowaychuk, DVM, Dipl. ACVECC Veterinarian, Mental Health and Wellness Advocate, Speaker, and Author “What if caregiving professionals could thrive in their careers without sacrificing their wellbeing?” Dr. Marie Holowaychuk (https://marieholowaychuk.com/) is on a mission to make that vision a reality. A passionate advocate for mental health and wellbeing in caregiving professions, Marie empowers veterinary teams and other caregiving professionals to prevent burnout, build resilience, and cultivate fulfilling careers. With over 20 years of experience as a veterinarian and critical care specialist, Marie founded Reviving Veterinary Medicine to provide evidence-based resources through transformative programs like From Burnout to Balance and From Toxic to Terrific (https://marieholowaychuk.com/learn-with-marie/). As a certified coach, yoga and meditation teacher, and wellbeing facilitator, Marie blends science, empathy, and practical insights to engage and inspire audiences. She also hosts the Reviving Vet Med Podcast (https://marieholowaychuk.com/podcast), exploring topics such as mental health and workplace culture. Her contributions have earned her the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association’s Communication Award and the Alberta Blue Cross Face of Wellness Award, as well as being recognized as one of Canada’s Top Keynote Speakers of 2025 by Eureka Education and Top 100 Health & Wellness by Top 100 Magazine. Marie’s book, A Compassionate Calling: What It Really Means to Be a Veterinarian (https://marieholowaychuk.com/book/), offers a candid exploration of the challenges and rewards of a career in veterinary medicine, shedding light on the emotional complexities and deep sense of purpose that drive those in the profession. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   30 Jun 2026

   Digital Stories in Community-Based Research with Carolyn Brandly

   A single well-told story can do what a stack of reports cannot: make someone feel the reality of living in a body, a system, or a diagnosis they’ve never had. We sit down with Carolyn, a newly trained Common Language Digital Storytelling facilitator and PhD student, to unpack how digital storytelling becomes a practical tool for health research, quality improvement, and stigma-breaking conversations. Episode Key Messages recreation therapy roots and building community programs for older adults research and quality improvement as tools for systems change in long-term care discovering Common Language through MAID digital stories and stigma reduction choosing a more personal story and learning facilitation through vulnerability living with disability, wait times in Canada, and rebuilding identity after surgery Kilimanjaro as a turning point for confidence, aging, and capacity adapting digital storytelling for people living with dementia in a PhD protocol co-research, simplified materials, slower pacing, and practical accessibility tweaks making a first volunteer story with her mom and deepening connection through memory recording voiceover many times and small changes that amplify a storyteller’s voice informed consent, sharing implications, and the ethics of public storytelling challenging ethics board assumptions and shifting to assumed capacity rights-based approaches to dementia in public spaces and collaboration invitations Other Links Mentioned Read this episode's blog post (https://commonlanguagedst.org/blog/digital-stories-in-community-based-research) Watch Carolyn's Story (https://drive.google.com/file/d/12e62DVCnxztl7cO3JE-_NFLTQR7n5jrB/view?usp=drive_link) Watch Marg's Story (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GFaYCun-1p5M6FVfv5EmLKkL-povJr7A/view?usp=drive_link) Learn more about Carolyn's work with Dementia Connections (https://dementiaconnections.org/) and PhD research (https://www.healthresearchbc.ca/award-recipient/carolyn-brandly/) Other Episodes Mentioned Episode 37 (https://shows.acast.com/co-created/episodes/disrupting-death-stories-of-maid) Disrupting Death: Stories of MAiD with Kathy Cortes-Miller and Keri-Lyn Durant Episode 52 (https://shows.acast.com/co-created/episodes/the-storytellers-yellow-pages) The Storyteller’s Yellow Pages with Lisa Joworski Episode 57 (https://shows.acast.com/co-created/episodes/treat-strories-like-data ) What Changes When We Treat Stories Like Data with Dr. Katharine Smart About Our Guest Carolyn Brandly has worked with and for older adults and people with dementia for 20+ years in care and community settings – designing, implementing, and evaluating health promotion programs, and facilitating community development, knowledge translation and quality improvement initiatives and research. Carolyn has achieved an MA in health leadership, as well as completing graduate-level education in dementia studies, gerontology, and entrepreneurship, and is currently undertaking doctoral studies through the University of Victoria’s Social Dimensions of Health Program. Her aim is to contribute to global efforts shaping inclusive health and social systems that uphold the human rights, autonomy and dignity of people living with dementia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   17 Jun 2026

   Using Digital Stories in Clinician Training with Dr. Tricia Williams

   A three-minute film can do what a 30-slide deck can’t: make a room full of clinicians feel the lived reality behind the diagnosis. We’re joined by Dr. Tricia Williams, a neuropsychologist at SickKids and a leader in outcomes-focused, family-informed innovation, to talk about why digital storytelling can change the way clinicians learn, listen, and care, especially when families are navigating congenital heart disease, brain injury, and complex neurodevelopmental needs. We also dig into how one well-placed story can shift conferences, training programs, and even the way we argue for better pathways and funding. Episode Key Messages what a digital story is and why it lands differently than data how the NeuroOutcomes Lab formed at SickKids and grows through community meeting at a congenital heart disease conference and recognizing the power of family voice using one caregiver story to frame a conference panel and drive practice change Interact-North as a virtual positive parenting program built from parent-identified needs breaking out of assessment-only models into intervention and skills-based support building reflection time into clinician training to strengthen emotional readiness what Story Slam teach us about audience well-being and protecting storytellers using storytelling as knowledge translation for policymakers and sustainable care pathways Other Links Mentioned Read this episode's blog post (https://commonlanguagedst.org/blog/digital-stories-in-clinician-training) Watch Kristi Bateman's digital story, Unspoken (https://youtu.be/LueuTufQEBQ?si=gBtIK8QXHgBQBe5k) Watch Kristy Wolfe's digital story, Hugs & Bugs (https://youtu.be/SAHLRkBqulk?si=CCGvCqzq5vGYlCVD) Learn more about the NeuroOutcomes Lab (https://lab.research.sickkids.ca/neurooutcomes/) Watch the 2026 Common Language Story Slam (https://commonlanguagedst.org/story-slam) About Our Guest Dr. Tricia Williams (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-tricia-williams/) received her PhD in Clinical Developmental Psychology at York University. She completed her Postdoctoral fellowships in health psychology at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and clinical neuropsychology at Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary. Dr. Williams is a board-certified Clinical Neuropsychologist and Paediatric Subspecialist through the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). Currently, Dr. Williams is a Clinical Neuropsychologist and Health Clinician-Scientist at SickKids in the Division of Neurology. In her clinical role, she leads the Neonatal Neuropsychological services for assessment and consultation for children and families following neonatal brain injury and associated medical conditions. Dr. Williams also provides families ongoing consultation. As a Health Clinician-Scientist, co-director of the NeuroOutcomes lab, and co-chair of the NeuroOutcomes Family Advisory Committee, Williams’ research focuses on neuropsychological outcomes following early brain injury and the importance of supporting the family in optimizing resilience. She is the principal investigator of the Interact-North project and the Parent Experiences project. Together with a multi-disciplinary team, a strong group of students and research staff, Dr. Williams’ research program aims to learn more about modifiable factors promoting resilience following early brain injury, and to identify modes of service delivery that will optimize neuropsychological outcomes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

764

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 48 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

58

Social presence

0

YouTube

66

Engagement

27

Contact Leading Through Stories

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.