Let's Talk Thought Leadership features conversations about becoming a top and trusted voice in your industry. Season 1 features brilliant thinkers from across Canada. Let's Talk Thought Leadership is hosted by Amanda Cupido, a Canadian TEDx speaker, award-winning podcast producer and post-exit entrepreneur. She is the Executive Podcast Advisor at The Walrus and a professor within the School of Media at Seneca Polytechnic. Amanda is also the author of the Amazon best-seller Let's Talk Podcasting and has a background in journalism.
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[Bonus] The biggest takeaways from top thinkers: Let's Talk Thought Leadership with Brett Hendrie, host of Visiting Experts
In this special episode, Amanda Cupido sits down with Brett Hendrie, Director of Strategic Events at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management and host of the podcast Visiting Experts (https://rotman-visiting-experts.simplecast.com/). In this conversation, they come together to reflect on the most memorable insights they've gathered from interviewing accomplished leaders, authors and researchers. Amanda and Brett dig into three throughlines: ✓Failure ✓Keeping up with the pace of work and life ✓The importance of personal values and intentionality.
Individual Visiting Experts episodes referenced in this conversation include:
-Finite humans (Oliver Burkeman) on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finite-humans-how-to-do-more-by-accepting-your-limits/id1667953305?i=1000729213681) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3h6IEj2ilsc2flysmedyAb?si=M-ux2WR7S0OoorzMwL8ESg)
-Gut instinct (Laura Huang) on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gut-instinct-how-to-actually-master-your-intuition/id1667953305?i=1000733809437) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/episode/5sNA0cHhiBOSvHFyGSYTpj?si=YoXXdqO0Sdu7m0X3we829w)
-Fail Smarter (Amy Edmondson) on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fail-smarter-what-the-research-tells-us-about-failure/id1667953305?i=1000640392508) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/episode/4lI3g8w6C8n56RNUC4PJXp?si=Zrcia8J5TWKzSYvCqlFQmQ)
-Saying no is a superpower (Vanessa Patrick) on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saying-no-is-a-superpower-heres-how-to-hone-that-talent/id1667953305?i=1000635503278) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3xvg7GcwdkghaYMXSwibPZ?si=1hDA8P67TaSPlrdPz4tGYg)
Video recording made possible by Links Live Media (https://linkslivemedia.com/).
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20 May 2026
What are the motives of thought leaders? Let's Talk Thought Leadership with Steve Paikin, Canadian politics expert
Steve Paikin is a journalist known for covering Canadian politics and hosting TVO’s The Agenda for 19 seasons. Right now you can hear him on his weekly podcasts: #onpoli and The Paikin Podcast. In this episode of Let's Talk Thought Leadership, we discuss ✔ Does being a thought leader always mean you are trying to sway public opinion? ✔ The importance of having hobbies outside of work ✔ His approach to writing three books at the same time ✔ Becoming the chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto. If you want to learn more about Steve’s work you can visit stevepaikin.com (stevepaikin.com)
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13 May 2026
Tapping into vulnerability and hope: Let's Talk Thought Leadership with Sana Bég, humanitarian expert
Sana Bég is the Executive Director of Médecins Sans Frontières — Doctors Without Borders Canada. She has a background in journalism and international relations. On this episode of Let's Talk Thought Leadership, Sana speaks about ✔ Knowing when to speak publicly about a cause ✔ Leaning into vulnerability as a leader ✔ Hope as a radical stance. To learn more about Sana, follow her on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanabeg1/) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sana.msf.canada/). Plus: Check out The Walrus article (https://www.pressreader.com/canada/the-walrus/20260601/281505052819713) discussed in the episode and MSF's Hope is Radical (https://hopeisradical.ca/) campaign.
This episode is brought to you by Médecins Sans Frontières — Doctors Without Borders Canada.
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6 May 2026
MuchMusic and Twitter and Harvard, Oh My: Let's Talk Thought Leadership with Jennifer Hollett, news and media expert
Jennifer Hollett is the Executive Director at The Walrus and has had a string of notable jobs in media. In this episode of Let's Talk Thought Leadership, she shares tips about ✔Intentionally consuming digital content ✔The evolving media landscape ✔Using curiosity and action to fuel thought leadership. To learn more about Jennifer, you can visit her website at https://jenniferhollett.com/ (https://jenniferhollett.com/)
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29 Apr 2026
Trademarking "Change Fluency": Let's Talk Thought Leadership with Jay Kiew, change and innovation expert
Jay Kiew is an innovation strategist and keynote speaker. He is also the author of Change Fluency: 9 Principles to Navigate Uncertainty and Drive Innovation. In this episode of Let's Talk Thought Leadership, he shares tips about ✔Managing an intense travel schedule ✔The importance of pausing to reflect on your work ✔Navigating industry award applications ✔Managing polarities in leadership. To learn more about Jay's work you can visit https://www.changefluency.com/ (https://www.changefluency.com/)
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22 Apr 2026
"Are you leading conversations or chasing after them?" Let's Talk Thought Leadership with Pauleanna Reid, ghostwriter and communications expert
Pauleanna Reid is a ghostwriter who helps high-profile leaders and celebrities with their speeches and books. In this episode she talks about ✔Best practices for content development ✔Tapping into the power of LinkedIn ✔Lifelong learning ✔How to find inspiration outside of work. To learn more about Pauleanna's work visit: https://pauleannareid.com/ (https://pauleannareid.com/)
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15 Apr 2026
In pursuit of roles that didn't exist: Let's Talk Thought Leadership with Jesse Wente, film and storytelling expert
Jesse Wente is a writer, arts leader and advocate for Indigenous rights in the storytelling sectors and beyond. He is best known for spending 20+ years as a columnist for CBC Radio’s Metro Morning, as a film and culture critic. In this episode he speaks about ✔The intersection of innovation and storytelling ✔What it's like writing a children's book ✔Creating universes for Indigenous creators to play in ✔Pursuing jobs that didn't exist before. For more information about Jesse's work, visit http://jessewente.ca (http://jessewente.ca)
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8 Apr 2026
Focusing on the good and trustworthy: Let's Talk Thought Leadership with Danielle Strickland, spiritual growth expert
Danielle Strickland is a celebrated voice within the Christian community and beyond. She is known for advocating for women, diversity and peace. In this episode of Let's Talk Thought Leadership, she talks about ✔ Dealing with misinformation and hate online ✔ Tapping into the power of experimentation ✔ Wisdom vs. knowledge ✔ The beauty of storytelling and asking questions. If you want to learn more about Danielle's work you can visit http://daniellestrickland.com (http://daniellestrickland.com )
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1 Apr 2026
Trailblazing her way through the gig economy: Let's Talk Thought Leadership with Pay Chen, food and lifestyle expert
Pay Chen is a radio and TV host, writer and producer —- known for her work with food, travel and lifestyle content. You might recognize her from her segments on all the Toronto morning shows or from her bylines in The Kit, Buzzfeed and Vice. In this episode of Let's Talk Thought Leadership, she shares tips about ✔ Navigating the gig economy ✔ Important skills for getting hired (and re-hired) ✔ The power of saying "no" ✔ How to pitch TV segments. To learn more about Pay, you can visit her website https://www.paychen.com/ (https://www.paychen.com/)
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25 Mar 2026
Coining the term "joy stretching" and landing celebrity endorsements: Let's Talk Thought Leadership with Dr. Shahana Alibhai, mental health expert
Dr. Shahana Alibhai is a family physician, speaker and author of Feel Better. In this episode of Let's Talk Thought Leadership she speaks about ✔ Managing a busy work/life schedule ✔ Working through mental health challenges ✔ Coining the term "joy stretching" ✔ How she got her book endorsed by Mel Robbins. To learn more about Dr. Shahana visit https://drshahana.com/ (https://drshahana.com/)
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18 Mar 2026
From bat biomechanics to late-night TV: Let's Talk Thought Leadership with Dan Riskin, science expert
Dan Riskin is a scientist, science journalist, speaker, and author. He did his PhD on the biomechanics of bats and was the host of Daily Planet on Discovery Canada for eight years. Now appears on many TV and radio shows talking everything science. In this episode of Let's Talk Thought Leadership, he shares tips about ✔ Making a strong speaking reel ✔ How and when to promote yourself when on stage ✔ Getting booked as a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. To learn more about Dan and to subscribe to his newsletter visit: https://noctilio.com/ (https://noctilio.com/) Also check out his speaker reel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKr37BxDpUI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKr37BxDpUI)
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11 Mar 2026
The secret to landing media opportunities and building an international reputation: Let's Talk Thought Leadership with Alyson Schafer, parenting expert
Alyson Schafer is an internationally acclaimed parenting expert, speaker, bestselling author and media personality. She is known for being an early adopter of sharing parenting tips on social media and has continued to share her knowledge online in innovative ways. In this episode, she shares tips about ✔ Getting media opportunities ✔ Taking risks with new technology ✔ Building a leadership profile beyond the Canadian market ✔ The art of a good headshot. Learn more about Alyson Schafer by visiting https://alysonschafer.com/ (https://alysonschafer.com/)
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4 Mar 2026
Championing "next practices" instead of best practices and creating a purposeful third act: Let’s Talk Thought Leadership with Zabeen Hirji, future of work expert
Zabeen Hirji is the founder of the Purposeful Third Act movement, which she started after retiring from her role as the Chief Human Resources Officer for RBC. In this episode of Let's Talk Thought Leadership, host Amanda Cupido asks Zabeen to share tips about: ✔Becoming a top voice on LinkedIn ✔Building trust with audiences ✔Creating a personal mission statement ✔What it's like to receive a lifetime achievement award when you still have so much life ahead of you. Learn more about Zabeen by visiting https://www.zabeenhirji.com/ (https://www.zabeenhirji.com/)
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25 Feb 2026
Finding fresh topics after 20 years in an industry: Let’s Talk Thought Leadership with Rob Carrick, personal finance expert
Rob Carrick is commonly referred to as “Canada’s #1” or “Canada’ s favourite” personal finance expert. This is because he has written close to 10,000 articles and authored four books on the topic. He recently retired after working for the Globe and Mail for 27 years but hasn’t stopped working. In this episode of Let's Talk Thought Leadership, host Amanda Cupido asks Rob to share tips about ✔Coming up with fresh topics and angles in your area of expertise ✔Navigating the rise in content creation ✔Staying relatable to your audience ✔Unplugging from the news cycle. Learn more about Rob Carrick by visiting https://robcarrick.ca/ (https://robcarrick.ca/)
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18 Feb 2026
How one TEDx talk accidentally got 30 million views: Let's Talk Thought Leadership with Ivan Joseph, leadership and confidence expert
Ivan Joseph is a speaker, bestselling author, and leadership consultant with a background in varsity sports coaching and academia. In this episode of Let's Talk Thought Leadership, host Amanda Cupido asks Ivan to share tips about: ✔ Transitioning out of a full time role to independent speaking/consulting ✔ Personal branding for target audiences ✔ His approach to writing his book, You Got This ✔How his TEDx talk garnered over 30 million views, without him even knowing it. Learn more about Ivan by visiting https://www.drivanjoseph.com/ (https://www.drivanjoseph.com/)
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29 Oct 2025
Introducing Let's Talk Thought Leadership
Get ready for a new podcast hosted by Amanda Cupido.
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