Let's Talk with Che Marville

About Let's Talk with Che Marville

Let’s Talk with Che Marville is a distinctly Canadian podcast about the power of conversation. Writer and advisor Che Marville sits down with diplomats, doctors, artists, builders, and leaders for conversations that riff, wander, and land somewhere true. Who are we? What do we believe? What is this moment asking of us? No scripts, no small talk. Just real questions and deep listening, because parts of us only come alive in the presence of another person. Named one of Canada’s Top 25 Midlife Podcasts by FeedSpot. Listen. Wonder. Connect.

Publisher

Che Marville

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

7 Oct 2020

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

148 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Oct 2026

   You Have to Learn How to Master Yourself | Simone Jennifer Smith | Let’s Talk with Che Marville

   What does it take to lead with love, not just a title? Che Marville sits down with Simone Jennifer Smith, chief correspondent of the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper, who holds a master’s in psychology, for a warm conversation about self-awareness, emotional intelligence and the patterns we inherit from family and community. Simone shares the story of watching her grandmother live with mental illness, the strict upbringing she rebelled against, and why therapy is where self-understanding begins. Together they talk about the stigma around mental health in Black and Caribbean communities, the myth of strength, and why accountability and knowing your weaknesses make you a better leader. “You have to learn how to master yourself.” 00:00 Welcome Simone Jennifer Smith 01:58 Self-regulation and leadership 03:46 Trauma across generations 05:52 Culture and processing pain 07:53 Titles versus true leadership 09:56 Emotional intelligence and therapy 12:07 The myth of strength 14:03 Confrontation, feedback and EQ 15:48 Her grandmother’s story 18:01 Mental health in families and communities 20:07 Rebelling against a strict upbringing 21:50 Accountability and knowing your weaknesses 23:55 Leadership now 26:01 Self-care and lifelong learning 26:58 Closing thoughts If this conversation spoke to you, subscribe to Let’s Talk with Che Marville so you never miss a new episode. New conversations every Wednesday. Visit Che Marville at letstalkwithchemarville.ca Listen deeply. Begin again.

2. 

   4 Oct 2026

   Running for Something Bigger: Kashif Chaudry's Case for Ward 4

   What makes someone decide to step into public life? In this episode of Let’s Talk, Che Marville sits down with longtime friend and Oakville Ward 4 council candidate Kashif “Kash” Chaudry for a candid conversation about leadership, community, identity and what it means to serve. Kashif shares a side of his story many people may not know. Raised in Hamilton by a single mother alongside his brother and sister, his family relied on the social assistance system while his mother worked to give her children opportunities she believed education could provide. Today, Kashif is a senior leader in banking, a husband, father of two young children and an active member of the Oakville community. So why politics—and why now? The conversation moves well beyond campaign talking points. Che and Kashif explore: • Why service, not status became central to his definition of success • Growing up in a working-class immigrant family in Hamilton • What his mother taught him about responsibility, education and doing the right thing • Whether universities still matter in a changing economy • What residents are telling him at the doors in Oakville • Safety, transportation and responsible infrastructure • Why development should follow infrastructure—not the other way around • Transparency and accountability in municipal government • His belief that leaders don't need to have every answer • Race, identity and the growing divisions Canadians encounter online • The difference between social-media conflict and real-life community • Protecting Oakville's green spaces while allowing the town to grow • Why listening may be one of the most important skills a political leader can have After speaking with nearly 1,000 residents through conversations and surveys, Kashif says three themes repeatedly emerged: safety and mobility, responsible infrastructure, and transparent accountability. But underneath the politics is a larger question: What kind of community are we building—and who gets to help shape it? This is a conversation about municipal politics, but even more, it is about citizenship, belonging and the responsibility we have to one another. Let’s Talk. 🎙️ Host: Che Marville 🎧 Podcast: Let’s Talk 📍 Recorded in Oakville, Ontario Follow Let’s Talk on Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts. If this conversation made you think, share it with someone who cares about leadership, community and the future of the places we call home.

3. 

   2 Oct 2026

   Building the Future of Oakville with Julia Hanna

   Julia Hanna has called Oakville home for more than 40 years. She opened her first restaurant at 26 with $880 in the bank, built a life in this town one table at a time, and is now running for Mayor of Oakville in the October 26, 2026 municipal election. This is a conversation about what it will take to build Oakville's future together. Julia sees her community from the front line. As an entrepreneur, she has watched how people are feeling through good years and hard ones, and she brings that view to everything from downtown's beautiful streets and quiet winters to the working families and seniors standing in line at Kerr Street Mission. She talks about accountability and urgency in local government, why she believes transparency is leadership, and why municipal politics should be public service rather than a career. Along the way, Che and Julia talk about Canada as a mosaic, food as the greatest connector, the grandmother who never trusted anyone who didn't like to eat, and the 88 year old mother who still rolls the gnocchi every Friday morning. It is a conversation about belonging, courage, and leading with heart and great thinking at the same time. In this episode Building a business from nothing, then and now Why small businesses are the canary in the coal mine Downtown, uptown, Bronte, Kerr Street and North Oakville as one town Accountability, urgency and transparency at town hall Compassion and kindness as strength Why the smartest person in the room knows they aren't Chapters 00:00 Welcome, Julia Hanna 02:17 The barometer of how we feel 04:41 Eight hundred and eighty dollars and a dream 07:05 Downtown Oakville, beautiful and hard 09:19 The library and the cost of waiting 11:39 Uptown, downtown and belonging 14:02 The mosaic and the melting pot 16:26 Wine in September, sauce in the kitchen 18:52 What food means 21:08 Do you like to eat? Grandma's test 23:29 Give the independents a chance 25:51 Standing room only at Kerr Street 28:16 The working poor and the need for opportunity 30:37 Running a town like a business 33:03 Midtown, growth and staying independent 35:17 Compassion and kindness as strength 37:36 What this run means to her 40:02 Never the smartest person in the room 42:24 Closing "Food is the greatest connector." Julia Hanna Let's Talk with Che Marville is a distinctly Canadian podcast about the power of conversation. Share this episode with someone who loves Oakville, subscribe, and tell us what you want for your community. Connect with Che: che@ellivram.com (mailto:che@ellivram.com) · ellivram.com Learn more about Julia Hanna: https://www.juliahanna.ca/ (https://www.juliahanna.ca/) Listen deeply. Begin again.

Who has been a guest on Let's Talk with Che Marville

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Patrick Philippeaux
• Jocelyn Pepe
• Fay Chapple
• Jay Bertram
• Rich Cooper

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 41 / 100

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

Quality

70

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Let's Talk with Che Marville

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

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

Questions about Let's Talk with Che Marville