Chatting with Humans

Today I'm sharing a conversation I had with Richard Okwii and Adacet John Peter, the executive director and managing director of Murphy Charitable Foundation Uganda, a nonprofit working to support vulnerable children and communities in the northeastern region of Uganda through education, mentorship, and empowerment.I first came across Murphy Charitable Foundation through their Pen Pal program, where I've been corresponding with two pen pals in Uganda. That experience changed me in ways I'm still processing. So getting to sit down with Richard and John Peter and hear the story behind the foundation firsthand felt very special.Richard lost his father at one month old and was raised by his grandparents in poverty. It was their voices, their mentorship, and their insistence that education was the key that planted the seed for everything Murphy Charitable Foundation has become. That seed became a dream at age seven, and in 2018 it became an organization. What they've built since then is extraordinary.We talk about the Pen Pal program, which now connects over 3,000 children in Uganda with international friends, and the philosophy behind it: hope restoration and mindset first, before anything else. We get into the Learning Lab launching in Bukedia district this summer, the Motivational Movie Project bringing film screenings to communities without electricity, the Kind Loans program offering zero percent interest loans to women entrepreneurs, and the Cancer Awareness program reaching communities with little to no access to health information.One of the most powerful aspects of this conversation is what John Peter shares about how they run their programs with or without a grant, because the work of changing a mindset doesn't require funding. It requires belief. And these two have that in extraordinary supply.Learn about Murphy Charitable Organization Uganda and see how you can get involved: Murphy Charitable Foundation Uganda - HomeConnect with Darrel-Lynne:Instagram: @dee_ogsoulWebsite: ogsoul.ca

Today I'm chatting with Lindsay Hayes, a former public school educator turned nature-based learning facilitator who has spent the last several years doing deep personal work and how that understanding has reshaped her approach to parenting, healing, and working with children.Lindsay and I met through our shared experience writing in Sovereign Volume 2, and this conversation goes to some really tender places. We talk about what it means to move through a victim mindset without bypassing it, how our bodies eventually demand the attention our minds have been avoiding, and why Lindsay left the public education system to create something entirely different on her acreage. She's working with kids from all backgrounds and what she's witnessing out there in nature is transformational.We also get into generational healing in a way that felt very alive for me. Lindsay writes about her mom in her upcoming chapter in Motherhood Expanded, and what she shares about releasing blame while still honoring the impact of her early experiences is something I think a lot of us need to hear. There's so much in this conversation about planting seeds you may never see harvested.Connect with Lindsay Hayes:Instagram: @linsayhayes2.0Motherhood Expanded: https://a.co/d/03Fm0ZWGConnect with Darrel-Lynne:Instagram: @dee_ogsoulWebsite: ogsoul.caChapters:00:00 Introduction and Shared Experiences03:00 The Writing Journey: Sovereign Volume 205:57 Motherhood and Personal Growth09:08 Understanding Childhood and Attachment11:52 Shifting from Victimhood to Empowerment15:05 The Impact of Parenting on Personal Healing18:12 Nature-Based Learning and Education20:55 Transformational Experiences with Children24:07 Conclusion and Future Aspirations25:18 Exploring Diverse Learning Environments30:39 Motherhood and Healing Through Writing36:29 Breaking Generational Patterns41:08 The Impact of Personal Healing on Parenting48:30 Navigating Systems and Self-Reflection

Today I'm chatting with Linsay Doyle, a Feng Shui practitioner and founder of Reclamation by Linsay, who has spent the better part of 14 years burning herself down and rebuilding, on her own terms.Linsay's shares about her journey since 2011 when she was at her heaviest weight, deeply disconnected from herself and living a life that wasn't hers. Linsay shares what followed: leaving an eight-year relationship the same weekend her boyfriend asked her parents for permission to propose, loading up her car and leaving, moving into an apartment by the Edmonton River Valley, signing up for a half marathon on a whim, and losing nearly 100 pounds in just over a year. Through finally making choices that were actually hers.We go a lot of places in this one, including:The courage it takes to evolve out of relationships and friendships, and why that grief is as real as any other kindMasculine and feminine energy, why she believes women have been burning themselves out holding the entire container, and what she's actually not willing to settle for.The work she's building through Reclamation by Linsay, where Feng Shui meets self-ownership and your junk drawer might just tell her everything she needs to know about you.And her relationship with God, why she doesn't claim a religion, and why Jesus is her homeboy.I love a great spicy chat with Linsay and this convo is no exception.Connect with Linsay:Instagram: @iamlinsaydoyleConnect with Darrel-Lynne:Instagram: @dee_ogsoulWebsite: ogsoul.caChapters:00:00 Introduction and Setting the Stage03:41 Linsay's Journey of Transformation06:29 Awakening and Making Choices08:57 Breaking Free from Relationships11:34 The Impact of External Pressures14:05 Finding Strength in Independence17:05 Physical Transformation and Weight Loss19:25 Running Towards a New Life22:07 Reflecting on Achievements and Future Self25:10 Navigating Life's Pivots27:52 Building Resilience Through Life's Trials30:47 The Balance of Self-Care and Growth33:33 Understanding the Duality of Experience37:56 Exploring Masculine and Feminine Energies41:44 The Impact of Societal Conditioning on Relationships45:28 The Journey of Self-Discovery in Relationships52:28 Divine Timing and Personal Growth53:37 The Journey of Self-Reclamation55:53 Building a New System: Reclamation by Linsay57:45 Transforming Spaces: The Power of Feng Shui59:23 Internal and External Reclamation01:00:50 Shared Connections and Unique Stories01:02:41 Claiming Your Lane: Individual Paths01:04:21 Exploring God and Spirituality01:10:43 Embodiment of Jesus: Actions Over Words

Today I'm chatting with Nicole Murphy, a friend, collaborator, and my co-creator of the Creative Project Studio. Nicole is a media producer, event creator, and someone who has spent over a decade helping people bring their creative projects to life.This conversation went deep fast. We talk about Nicole's winding path from being called "dancing girl" in elementary school to art school, film school, and eventually building a community rooted in creativity and connection. We get into the creative cycle she's mapped out, inspiration through to feedback, and why so many creatives get stuck somewhere in the middle. We talk about what happened when she left her serving job, gave up her apartment, and traveled to the literal other side of the world with a carry-on and a backpack. Mauritius, Thailand, Vietnam, across Canada.We spend a lot of time on what it means to get back in rooms with people, why play isn't a luxury, and how isolation became normalized in ways we're only starting to see clearly. Nicole shares honestly about image management, faith, money fears, and the spiritual warfare she sees playing out in creative people's lives.This one is about remembering that creativity isn't extra. It's essential.Connect with Nicole Murphy:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolesmurphy/Creatives Project Studio: https://www.skool.com/creative-project-studio/aboutConnect with Darrel-Lynne:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dee_ogsoul/Website: ogsoul.caChapters:00:00 Introduction and Evolution of Collaboration03:09 Nicole's Journey in the Creative Space06:57 Understanding the Creative Cycle09:55 The Importance of Human Connection12:42 Navigating Fear and Connection Post-Pandemic18:28 Embracing Adventure and Growth24:15 Wealth of Experience and Perspective25:33 Navigating Uncomfortable Conversations29:05 The Impact of Online vs. In-Person Interactions31:17 The Call for In-Person Connection33:35 Mental Health and the Digital Age36:19 Creativity and Relationships41:04 The Necessity of Play and Connection49:41 The Power of Play in Life51:49 Navigating the Corporate Culture Shift53:46 Creativity vs. Conformity in Education57:55 The Journey of Self-Discovery and Authenticity01:00:59 The Role of Community in Personal Growth01:03:44 Embracing Creative Expression and Connection

In this episode, I sit down with Kasia Piascik—HR professional, fellow author in the Reclaiming Mental Health anthology, and someone who has done the deep, unglamorous work of coming home to herself. Kasia's chapter traces her life from a gifted kid in a Mississauga classroom through depression, anxiety, addiction, and the labels that tried to define her, all the way to sixteen years sober and a life she actually recognizes as her own.We talk about what it felt like to ask for help as a child and be turned away, the diagnoses that accumulated over the years and what she eventually made of them, and how addiction became the way she drowned out pain she didn't have language for yet. We also get into the DSM, Gabor Maté, and why finding the root matters more than naming the symptom.There's also wonderful synchronicity with Kasia ended up writing in this book also—a thread that runs all the way back to her grade five classroom and her very first teacher. And yes, she posted about all of this on LinkedIn. She works in HR. That took guts, and we talk about that too.Resources Mentioned:Reclaiming Mental Health anthology: https://a.co/d/0dvGcfuSIn the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor MatéThe Power of Now by Eckhart TolleConnect with Kasia:Instagram: @kasiapiascikreclaimsConnect with Darrel-Lynne:Instagram: @dee_ogsoulWebsite: ogsoul.ca

Today I'm chatting with Dr. John Battye. John is an improv instructor, arts educator, professor at Grant MacEwan University, and one of my Improv 100 instructors this past winter semester. John grew up in Blyth, Ontario, a small farming town with a surprisingly big theater at its heart. His grandmother helped found the Blyth Festival, and a chance encounter with the artistic director when John was young set everything in motion. Thirty years of performing and teaching improv later, here we are.In this conversation we talk about how improv teaches you to sort through the noise and find what actually matters in the moment, why community is the whole point, and what gets lost when arts funding disappears. John also shares what it looks like from the instructor's side: watching people walk in thinking they can't do it, and walk out knowing they can. That shift, he says, is the truest gift he's given in his work.We also get into whether we're standing on the edge of a cultural renaissance, the strange paradox of being an introvert who's spent decades on stage, and what a giant pink Easter Bunny has to do with any of this.At the heart of it all is something John said near the end that stayed with me: improv is a practice of understanding your own impulse and being okay with whatever that is. Radical self-acceptance. Scary, honest, and extremely rewarding.Connect with Dr. John Battye:Instagram: @jb3performsConnect with Darrel-Lynne:Instagram: @dee_ogsoulWebsite: ogsoul.caChapters:00:00 Introduction to John Battye04:19 John's Journey into Improv and Theater07:02 Teaching and Impact of Improv Classes09:59 Long Form Improv Experiences12:38 Nervousness and Excitement in Performance13:46 Building Community through Improv15:31 The Nature of Improv and Mistakes18:24 Learning and Growth in Improv21:06 The Transformative Power of Improv24:34 Art as a Healing Force in Troubling Times29:52 The Rise of Creative Exploration Post-Pandemic36:18 Navigating the Stage: Stories from the Improv World41:51 Embracing Playfulness and Vulnerability in Art47:08 Final Thoughts: The Importance of Self-Acceptance and Community

Today I'm chatting with Ulrike Tooke, someone who has been on a long journey back to herself and she's sharing about some of that in this conversation.When Ulrike lost her mother at seven, she made a quiet but life-altering decision: to be strong, to hold it together, to stop being a kid. What she uncovered decades later was that in doing so, she had left a part of herself behind entirely.She shares what it means to finally grieve the self you abandoned, not just the people you've lost. We get into precognitive dreams, the ones that scared her enough to stop dreaming altogether for nearly a decade, and what it meant when they came back different.We wander into Chinese medicine, heart rate variability, minerals, sleep, and the powerful intelligence of the body. And we land on discernment, how you build it, why it matters.Ulrike is thoughtful, honest, and refreshingly unpolished in the best way.Connect with Ulrike:Instagram: @thelivingcompass_ | @redbirchriverWebsite: luminawellnessco.caConnect with Darrel-Lynne:Instagram: @dee_ogsoulWebsite: ogsoul.ca

Today I'm chatting with Daniel Brunelle. Daniel and I met in an improv class this past winter semester.Daniel came into this conversation with an openness that I really appreciated. We talked about what it actually feels like to walk into a room full of strangers and say yes to being seen and how that single act of showing up to an improv class became something much bigger than a fun weekend side-quest.We got into anxiety and how it doesn't just disappear, and how anxiety is something he has lived with his whole life, but what he's doing to change how it appears in his life and how it can become something you learn to move alongside.We touched on introversion, the tension of being someone who craves connection but also needs to retreat. Yoga came up too — a practice that has quite quickly shifted his understanding and listening to his body and feelings. We also weave in everyone's favourite word — authenticity, and talk about how it can be difficult to find that online when you're still figuring out who you are offline.This conversation is about finding the courage it takes to grow in public and find meaningful connection through stepping into the discomfort.Connect with Daniele Brunelle:LinkedIn: @djbrunelleWebsite: https://paridot.io/Connect with Darrel-Lynne:Instagram: @dee_ogsoulWebsite: https://www.ogsoul.ca/Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Improv and Personal Growth07:51 The Impact of Socializing on Mental Health13:15 Understanding Anxiety and Its Effects18:22 The Role of Authenticity in Self-Expression23:52 The Challenge of Being Authentic Online

Today I’m chatting with Alana Joy Newton. Alana is psychotherapist, former nurse, and a deeply intuitive human with a beautifully grounded presence. This is deep but also playful conversation and Alana opens some personal pages.We talk about Joy as a living part of her, Gene Keys, divine timing, and the ways grief lives in the body and extends far beyond how most generally understand it. Alana also shares about leading Living With Grief (Sovereign Acres) and what it means to name what’s been carried quietly for years, especially for sensitive humans.This is a conversation about grief, sensitivity, healing, and returning to love without bypassing the human experience.Connect with Alana:@alana_joy_newtonwww.alanajoynewton.comConnect with Darrel-Lynne:Instagram: @dee_ogsoulWebsite: ogsoul.caChapters:00:00 The Essence of Joy: A Personal Connection07:37 Transitioning from Nursing to Psychotherapy13:00 Collective Grief and Personal Stories18:18 Sensitivity as a Superpower25:27 Validation and Healing: Acknowledging Our Truths31:08 The Depths of Connection: Exploring Relationships37:57 Navigating the Journey: Writing and Publishing Together43:28 Navigating Grief and Transformation49:13 Embracing Intuition and Patience

In this episode of Chatting with Humans, I sit down with Jodi Dancause. Business owner, flower artist, soon to be published author and pattern-disrupting force (and light!).We talk about the unexpected emotional depth of running a flower shop and how Jodi meets people in life’s biggest moments, from celebration to grief, and how “it’s never just flowers.” From there, we move into writing, truth-telling, and what it can look like to break generational patterns in real time.Jodi shares what brought her into Reclaiming Mental Health (launching March 24, 2026), what it took to say yes, and how the process opened a floodgate: she’s now completing her first full manuscript, Piece by Piece (aiming for May 2026).This is a conversation about honest reflection, boundaries, healing that ripples both backward and forward through a family line, and the kind of hope that comes from choosing a different path.Content note: this episode includes discussion of mental health struggles and suicide loss. Please listen with care.Connect with Jodi Dancause:Instagram: @jodidancauseConnect with Darrel-Lynne:Instagram: @dee_ogsoulWebsite: ogsoul.caChapters00:00 Introduction to Jody Dancause03:35 Jody's Journey: From Employee to Owner04:29 The Emotional Journey of a Florist08:18 Connecting Through Flowers: More Than Just Arrangements11:45 The Journey of Writing: From Imposter Syndrome to Authorship14:40 Sharing Personal Stories: The Impact of Mental Health17:39 Breaking the Stigma: Conversations Around Mental Health22:35 Reflections on Family and Mental Health Challenges23:45 The Burden of Perception24:45 Diagnosis and Mental Health Struggles26:27 Childhood Trauma and Its Impact29:48 Healing Relationships with Family32:07 Breaking Generational Patterns35:47 The Power of Authenticity39:27 Creating Lifelines for the Next Generation40:33 The Journey of Writing and Sharing Stories42:43 The Journey of Writing and Self-Discovery45:13 Ongoing Healing and Personal Growth48:25 Taking Responsibility and Ownership51:23 The Power of Storytelling and Connection54:29 Validation and the Need to be Seen

Today I have the honour of featuring my mom, Carmen Thieson, in a conversation that takes us through family history, aging, creativity, career pivots, and what it truly means to keep growing. We talk about her outlook on staying young, her upcoming 50th wedding anniversary with my dad, spirituality, and her deep intuitive gift of knowing.She reflects on the career path she walked and how it shaped my own choices. As a vibrant 69-year-young human, she shares her joyful perspective on life, her plans to go to the moon, and her full intention to live to 110.Connect with Carmen:My mom doesn’t spend time on social media, so there aren’t any handles to share. That’s likely part of the inner peace she so clearly carries.Connect with Darrel-Lynne:Instagram: @dee_ogsoulWebsite: ogsoul.caChapters00:00 Introduction and Family Connection05:49 Legacy of Grandma and Family Dynamics10:07 Carmen's Intuitive Insights and Future Predictions13:51 The Intersection of Astrology and Personal Growth19:30 Creativity Unleashed: Carmen's Artistic Journey24:06 Career Reflections and Efficiency in Work29:48 Inheriting Efficiency and Burnout Awareness32:24 Celebrating Everyday Moments34:01 Engagement Story: Love in Simplicity34:42 The Value of Connection and Compassion36:42 The Importance of Being Seen38:03 Navigating Pain with Compassion39:29 Embracing Life's Journey40:16 Frequency of Love and Connection42:33 Awakening to Spirituality44:03 Childhood Intuition and Connection46:00 Moments of Spiritual Clarity48:43 Navigating Loss and Connection51:05 Moving Beyond Victimhood

Welcome to episode one of Chatting with Humans. Today, you're hanging out with me, Darrel-Lynne, host of this podcast. This episode is all about the why—what is fueling this podcast. The intention. I also share a bit about me and my journey to now, including the mental health healing journey I have walked and how I think human connection is more important than ever. This podcast is an exploration of not only finding my own voice, but finding appreciation and lessons in the voices and stories of others.Connect with Darrel-Lynne:Instagram: @dee_ogsoulWebsite: ogsoul.caChapters:00:00 Introduction to Chatting with Humans01:28 The Journey of Mental Health06:19 The Importance of Human Connection12:38 Celebrating Everyday Stories18:32 Writing as a Medium for Healing24:18 Reclaiming Our Stories and Humanity30:34 The Power of Authenticity and Vulnerability39:02 Embracing Our True Selves