RayPresents is a conversation series hosted by Ray Leroy, featuring thoughtful and honest discussions with inspiring voices across culture, business, media, sports, and public life.
Each episode explores the journeys behind success, the risks taken, the lessons learned, and the values that guide leaders, creators, and changemakers from Canada and around the world. The tone is relaxed, authentic, and reflective, creating space for real stories and meaningful insight.
RayPresents is about perspective, purpose, and the people shaping our world, one conversation at a time.
The Florida Highwaymen: The story the world needs to know
26 artists, hundreds of thousands of paintings. One extraordinary chapter of American history.The Florida Highwaymen created far more than iconic landscapes. Their story is one of art, history, determination, entrepreneurship, race and legacy.On this episode, I sit down with Tony Hayton, Director of the Florida Highwaymen Exhibit, collector and longtime advocate for the Highwaymen, for a conversation that takes us deep inside their remarkable story.Tony has spent more than two decades helping preserve and elevate their legacy. His journey has connected him with the artists themselves and has helped bring their story to audiences far beyond Florida, including in Canada.Behind the paintings are 26 remarkable individuals, including Mary Ann Carroll, the only woman among the original Highwaymen.Who were they? How did they build one of the most fascinating artistic legacies in American history? And why should the world know their story today?This conversation is about history, art, resilience, entrepreneurship and legacy. But above all, it's about people whose story deserves to be told.There’s always more to the story.https://floridahighwaymenexhibit.com (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUZZTVljRWNYcDctUEcwLW5UcjU5elVpd1lqU3xBTl9pYzRlZ1JPY3dRSDJEYV8wTHJjQ1ZaeUlKQWpJUjYtMjBrX2xWMUc0cV9JcEJ3T0FsS2lKWkE3eERzM1d3T1pYN24zQ2pIT1QtSjBPNndnQ3FUeHJVcjVnRUNEZ0pIRzJf&q=https%3A%2F%2Ffloridahighwaymenexhibit.com%2F&v=MFDtkki4nxk)
28 Aug 2026
What nobody tells you about being a professional singer | Nicole Thalìa
Nicole Thalìa knows what the stage looks like at the highest level. The singer, Creative Director and entrepreneur has performed around the world, from singing at the Royal Wedding with The Kingdom Choir to touring with Italian superstar Marco Mengoni and performing as part of Black Coffee’s orchestral show on a night that also featured Alicia Keys.But the stage is only part of the story.Nicole returns to RayPresents for Episode #70 to talk about the side of being a professional singer people don’t always see: the work behind the voice, the discipline, the pressure, the business and what it takes to keep growing in an industry that can be incredibly demanding.We get into what Nicole listens for in a great vocalist, why understanding your voice matters, why artists can be so hard on themselves, the realities of touring and some of the lessons she’s learned throughout her career.She also talks about giving that knowledge back to the next generation, including returning to the BRIT School to lead a Contemporary Vocalist Masterclass.And then I put her on the spot… Céline Dion or Whitney Houston? Her answer, and the way she breaks it down, might settle a few debates. Or start some new ones.There are plenty of gems in this conversation for aspiring singers, creatives, entrepreneurs and anyone curious about what really happens behind the music.Nicole Thalìa returns to RayPresents for Episode #70.If you enjoy the conversation, like, comment and subscribe for more conversations across music, film, sports, business and culture.
16 Aug 2026
City Fidelia: The truth about being an independent artist in Ottawa
What does it really take to build as an independent artist in a city where the talent is there, but the support doesn’t always follow?I sat down with Ottawa rapper and entrepreneur City Fidelia at Exit Lounge, the restaurant he owns with his partners, for an honest conversation about music, entrepreneurship, funding, community and creating your own opportunities.City has taken his music far beyond Ottawa, including touring in Japan and gaining recognition from major artists and platforms. At the same time, he has continued to build businesses, create opportunities and invest in the city he calls home.We talk about the realities of being a Black independent artist in Ottawa, the challenges around funding and support, and how independent creatives are often making a major impact with far fewer resources than larger organizations. But this conversation isn’t only about what’s missing. It’s about what we can build together.City talks about the importance of supporting one another, speaking each other’s names in rooms we’re not in, sharing opportunities, bringing people with us when doors open, and choosing collaboration over competition.And we ask a bigger question: What would it take for Ottawa to become one of Canada’s great creative cities?This conversation is about more than music. It’s about ownership, entrepreneurship, community, opportunity and building something that lasts.
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