The Big Bears Podcast: A Two-Eyed Seeing Approach To Neurodiversity

Send us Fan MailWhat if the hardest chapter in your life wasn’t yours at all, but the one you watched a parent shoulder with quiet force? We open with land and lineage, then trace a son’s gratitude to a single mom who juggled basements, night school, and grit until she bought a home he would one day buy back. Living together again reframes advice as gold, not noise, and turns daily catch-up into shared rhythm.From there, the story widens. By day he keeps aircraft safe as a maintenance engineer; by night he chases sound and community across Halifax stages. A snowstorm strands his mom for 48 hours on standby, a window into the tradeoffs of airline life. Back home, competence compounds: he built a professional studio flow in months, learned cameras, audio, and simple AI pipelines that turn clear prompts into ready-to-ship video. No fluff, just repeatable process you can teach and scale.Music finds new footing after COVID reset the scene. When residencies vanished, the starting line equalized; he stepped in as a second player, learned by doing, and helped grow the Sunday Sesh into a lively variety show with comedy, games, and a seven-piece band. An album with Buckingham Drive is in the works, paced with intention rather than urgency. Alongside that, mentorship reframes ADHD as an engine for warmth, stagecraft, and leadership—proof that labels can limit you only if you let them.The thread tying it all together is community. Halifax shows, AA rooms, church fundraisers, and pickup sports knit networks that make both art and life sturdier. That same “lower the threshold” mindset drives his jiu-jitsu coaching: start one-on-one, define comfort zones, and make the doorway easy to cross. When craft, care, and curiosity overlap, a life stops feeling segmented and starts clicking—like a tight band dropping into a groove.If this conversation moved you, tap follow, share it with a friend who needs a nudge to start, and leave a review telling us where you’re building your next small win.We'd like to thank our sponsor...The Big Bears Podcast is sponsored by ADDvocacy ADHD & Executive Function Coaching and TrainingDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailA bright neon streak in a grey room—that’s how Maggie describes herself, and it fits. From being adopted and cycling through foster and group homes across Nova Scotia to regaining full custody of her kids after the system took them, she’s walked the hardest roads and still found a future worth building. We sit down to unpack the choices that kept her grounded, the community that held her together after long nights working Halifax bars, and the next chapter she’s carving in cybersecurity.Maggie opens up about school bias, racism, and the constant shape-shifting that survival demanded. Then the story pivots to purpose: with tuition waived because she grew up in care, she’s heading back to finish a cybersecurity program, determined to teach Grade 11 and 12 students how to stay safe online. She’s designing access from the start—discounts for youth in care, practical tools for parents, and a path that moves beyond awareness into action. Alongside that plan sits a promise: to foster and adopt, offering the stability she fought to build for her own family.There’s pain here too—her brother’s death in a Toronto shelter and the unanswered questions about safety, oversight, and mental health. Maggie doesn’t stop at grief; she aims her anger, pushing for policy that prevents weapons from reaching vulnerable spaces and for housing and care that meet people where they are. Between heavy turns, we trade laughs about nightlife rituals, ethical hacking, and the joy of standing out, neon hair and all. What emerges is a portrait of resilience with teeth: practical, principled, and focused on lifting others.If you care about foster care reform, mental health, shelter safety, Halifax community, cybersecurity education, or online safety for teens, you’ll find something to hold onto here. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs courage today, and leave a review telling us one change you’d make to protect youth right now.We'd like to thank our sponsor...The Big Bears Podcast is sponsored by ADDvocacy ADHD & Executive Function Coaching and TrainingDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailThe conversation starts where so many secrets live: hiding use, chasing the next hit, and whispering with paranoia behind a bathroom door. Jason lays it bare— how porn corroded trust and warped intimacy, and how the endless scroll dulled imagination. What follows isn’t a miracle flip; it’s a humble blueprint for change built on daily intention, ceremony, and the courage to feel. We ground the story with a land acknowledgement and our two-eyed seeing mission, then travel through the messy middle toward something sturdier than willpower: structure, community, and purpose.Fatherhood reframes everything. Jason refuses to repeat old patterns learned from an absent parent. Instead, he shows up with time, steadiness, and gratitude for hard lessons that once hurt. ADHD and autism traits become assets when channelled with care: night-before prep, multiple plans for different outcomes, and an “organized mess” that still moves life forward. We talk boundaries that actually hold—dating outside triggers, protecting peace at home, and saying no to the lie of “just this once.” A mentor’s line echoes through: do your best and leave the rest. Some days that “best” is smaller; it still counts.Spiritual practice is the spine. A morning prayer—love myself, protect myself, be kind to myself—turns yesterday’s wounds into today’s medicine. Sweat lodge, smudging, and community reinforce sobriety without erasing the human tug of compulsion. We dig into pain literacy, the difference between emotional and physical pain, and why tears are not weakness but release. Then we face practical realities: work that pays but stalls growth, the cost of everything, and the plan to upgrade skills while staying employed. Purpose emerges in service—elevate your life, then radiate it outward.If you’ve ever asked, Why can’t I just stop? or When will the other shoe drop? this story offers honest tools you can use today: self-reflection that looks for lessons, boundaries that protect energy, attainable goals that build momentum, and people who can “supervise” your thoughts when the mind runs hot. Hit follow, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review to help more listeners find their way to calm, choice, and a life that fits.We'd like to thank our sponsor...The Big Bears Podcast is sponsored by ADDvocacy ADHD & Executive Function Coaching and TrainingDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailWe sit with Jason to trace the path from masking pain and addiction to a grounded life shaped by service, spirituality, and neurodiversity-aware tools. The talk moves from childhood trauma and paranoia to honest boundaries, gratitude, and the hard choice to let go of the last secret.• land acknowledgement and show mission• early masking, introversion, addictions as avoidance• childhood trauma, epilepsy, abandonment and trust• street life, paranoia, unsafe circles• first meetings, listening before speaking• service in detoxes and jails, paying debts• humour as coping, compassion and acceptance tattoos• ADHD traits reframed as strengths with structure• sweat lodges, prayer, gratitude and repetition• moderation, relapse reflections and firm boundaries• letting go of pornography, alcohol limits and growth• calmer presence, relationships, and sustained changeWe would appreciate it if you could listen, subscribe, engage, and share this podcastTune in every second Tuesday at 7 a.m. Atlantic time for a new episodeWe'd like to thank our sponsor...The Big Bears Podcast is sponsored by ADDvocacy ADHD & Executive Function Coaching and TrainingDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailSome stories grab your nervous system before your mind can catch up. This conversation charts a mother’s path from nightly fear and shattered doors to a hard-won version of safety for her autistic son, and it doesn’t flinch. We talk about what happens when adolescence brings strength without supports, why a threat to a cop moved the system when threats to mom did not, and how a single court moment opened the door to placements that actually matched behaviour rather than a file.We walk through the maze: a short-term secure placement at Waterville, a “place of safety,” then the first staffed home that collapsed under rigid rules, and finally a private team that set clear boundaries and held the line. The result isn’t a fairy tale, but it’s real progress—high school graduation, part-time work in electronics recycling and a doggy daycare, and fewer crises. Along the way we name what families often carry alone: caregiver PTSD, the dread that lingers after the bruises fade, and the grief of loving someone who can still scare you.Woven through is ADHD—meds like Vyvanse, hyperfocus on the wrong targets, interrupted concentration—and a two-eyed seeing approach that blends Indigenous wisdom with western tools. We get practical about sleep, routine, and nervous system regulation; sensory seeking versus sensory aversion; and how dogs, woods, cold plunges, and swim training can offer lawful dopamine and grounded calm. If you’re fighting for services, you’ll hear a playbook: document everything, escalate respectfully but relentlessly, and demand placements that fit the person, not the paperwork. If you’re a professional, you’ll hear where policies fail lived reality and how to meet families with dignity and usable help.If this story resonates, share it with someone who needs proof that persistence changes outcomes. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us the one tactic you’ll try this week. Your voice helps other families find a path through.Support the show

Send us Fan MailStart with the truth too many families hide: when a child’s nervous system is on fire, the world reads smoke as misbehaviour. We open with a land acknowledgement and a commitment to a two‑eyed seeing lens, then walk through a mother’s unvarnished account of raising an autistic son who was first mislabeled, then excluded, and too often restrained instead of supported. From the first gut feelings in infancy—constant crying, early aggression, fierce rigidity—to the gauntlet of daycare expulsions and chaotic bus rides, the story shows how quickly home, work, and safety can unravel when systems chase compliance over care.School becomes a rotating door of suspensions and blame, until relentless advocacy pries open an individualized classroom with a full‑time assistant. Even then, the approach centres on behaviour management rather than the drivers beneath it: anxiety, sensory overload, and profound dysregulation. A six‑month residential program promises structure but delivers seclusion rooms and sedatives, deepening trauma and eroding trust. Only years later does a formal diagnosis of autism with conduct disorder land—an explanation that arrives long after opportunities for earlier, gentler help. Along the way, medication trials stack up while caregiver insight about anxiety and depression is dismissed, highlighting how narrowly clinical pathways can operate.This conversation doesn’t tidy its edges. Toileting stays unresolved, friendships remain rare, and the teen years magnify danger as bodies grow and empathy lags beyond the circle of home. Yet there are anchors: a caregiver named Mary who meets the child where he is and quietly reduces crises; a new career that rebuilds confidence and stability; a son whose empathy with family and animals hints at hard‑won growth. We name the real fixes: neuroaffirming classrooms, rapid diagnostic access, crisis teams trained for autism, trauma‑informed care, and respite that respects families. If you’ve ever felt trapped in the loop of mobile crisis, police, and “try a sticker chart,” this story will feel like someone finally saying it out loud.If this resonates, subscribe, share with someone who needs it, and leave a review with one change you’d make to your local support system—what’s the first fix you’d fight for?We'd like to thank our sponsor...The Big Bears Podcast is sponsored by ADDvocacy ADHD & Executive Function Coaching and TrainingDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailWhat if the life you want is waiting on the other side of telling the truth about who you are? That’s the spark running through our conversation with C Style—rapper, gym regular, and unapologetic believer in authenticity—who opens up about coming out, quitting alcohol, losing 174 pounds, and finding a creative voice that actually sounds like her.We start with identity: hiding, worrying about family expectations, and the jolt of relief that comes with finally choosing honesty. From there, we trace how one decision rewired the rest—sobriety cleaned the lens, mornings got lighter, and writing sessions became focused. C Style shares how her process works in real life: listen to the beat, write what you feel, edit hard, and return when your head is clear. That discipline led to a run of singles, including Chosen One and a faith-filled track called I’m Elevated, written from gratitude and grounded joy.We also frame neurodiversity through a two-eyed seeing approach—blending Indigenous wisdom with Western tools—so ADHD shifts from “defect” to difference with serious upside. Structure, rituals, and self-compassion turn procrastination into momentum. There’s humour, too, from karaoke nerves to gym tales, and a consistent stance against filters: no fake stories, just real life—meditation, exercise, prayer, and the kind of kindness that can turn a stranger into a friend on a city sidewalk.If you love artist origin stories, practical motivation, and the reminder that small daily choices can change everything, you’ll feel at home here. Stick around for music influences spanning Tupac, Eminem, Michael Jackson, Prince, Johnny Cash, and why community energy—flash mobs, waterfront dance breaks, and spontaneous interviews—can heal more than you’d think.If this conversation moves you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more listeners find real stories and real change.We'd like to thank our sponsor...The Big Bears Podcast is sponsored by ADDvocacy ADHD & Executive Function Coaching and TrainingDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailThe story opens with gratitude and purpose, then drops you into the messy middle of a life lived at full volume. We talk candidly about toxic love, gaslighting, and the kind of chaos that can feel like romance when you’re starved for safety. From early internet personals and awkward food-court meetups to partners who limit clothes and rewrite history, this is a field guide to red flags we wish we had named sooner.As school and work collide with anxiety and ADHD, weed feels like relief and becomes a trap that steals focus and momentum. The timeline pivots through a tender but unstable relationship with Dave and a leap into Moncton, where another whirlwind arrives: love bombing, PCP, and a Montreal run that ends with arrests, a hospital bed, a blizzard, and a car flipped in the woods. The notebook left behind—and later exposed—turns into a symbol of truth we try to tell ourselves when denial gets loud.Pregnancy shatters illusions and forces hard choices. There’s job loss, a long dark season of sleep and counting days, and family stepping in with rides, meals, and childcare when the world feels too heavy to lift. We don’t sanitize the impact on our kids, either: the distance from Devin, the weight Ben carried, and how overlooking ADHD needs can happen when addiction narrows your view. What emerges is not a tidy redemption arc but a real one—moving back to Dartmouth, finding work, dropping the performance of “I’m fine,” and learning the difference between intensity and care.If you’ve ever confused drama for love, numbed pain to keep moving, or rebuilt after a collapse, you’ll hear your own heartbeat in these moments. We focus on practical insight: how to spot gaslighting early, why love bombing feels so convincing, how ADHD and anxiety shape coping, and which supports actually help you climb out—therapy, structure, honest friends, and family who hold the line when you can’t. Subscribe, share with someone who needs a mirror more than a lecture, and leave a review with the one red flag you’ll never ignore again.We'd like to thank our sponsor...The Big Bears Podcast is sponsored by ADDvocacy ADHD & Executive Function Coaching and TrainingDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailPain leaves fingerprints long before we can name it. Nikki joins us to share how adoption, ADHD, and small-town stigma shaped a childhood of big feelings and constant misunderstandings—and how those early imprints led to teen marriage, addiction, and a life-or-death turning point. We open with a two-eyed seeing lens, blending Indigenous and Western perspectives so we can hold both the science of trauma and the lived experience of being mixed race, neurodivergent, and chronically misread as “defiant.”Nikki recounts the loneliness of being a girl with undiagnosed ADHD, the pressure of a religious home where her teacher-dad doubled the scrutiny, and the ache that drove her toward any scrap of love. She speaks openly about self-harm, running away at 13, and getting married and pregnant before she could legally drink. After leaving that marriage, a search for freedom collided with alcohol, sexual assault, and the crack culture that pulsed through night life at the time. Even as she returned to high school and tried to parent, shame and survival mode pulled her under. The spiral ends at a locked bathroom door, a bottle of pills, and a partner who sensed the danger and broke in just in time.What follows is raw, humane, and grounded: waking intubated, facing family who didn’t understand, and learning the language that finally fit—trauma is an experience, not a memory. We explore how neurodivergent girls get missed, why adoption grief can coexist with love, and what recovery really asks for beyond abstinence: safety, attachment, cultural humility, and forgiveness that includes accountability. Through two-eyed seeing, we trace pathways back to dignity, steadier parenting, and a future not ruled by old pain.If this story resonates, share it with someone who needs to hear it, subscribe for more two-eyed seeing conversations, and leave a review with the moment that stayed with you most.We'd like to thank our sponsor...The Big Bears Podcast is sponsored by ADDvocacy ADHD & Executive Function Coaching and TrainingDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailStart here if you want a grounded, human look at neurodiversity that honours where we live and how we learn. We root the conversation on Mi’kmaq territory and carry that respect into a two-eyed seeing approach, weaving Indigenous and Western perspectives to make sense of struggle, resilience, and growth. This update pulls back the curtain on our process, our next set of guests, and the creative choices that help us tell better stories.We share a production win—moving from a tablet to a proper studio rig—that cuts friction and lets us focus on people, not buttons. Then we walk through the upcoming line-up: Joy Day, a sheriff in Halifax and Dartmouth, opening up about ADHD at work and the tools that turn pressure into performance; Robbie Vino, a local fixture on Argyle Street, offering a Love story that speaks to belonging and identity; and the Bagel Man, a beloved bakery owner whose big suit and bigger spirit remind us to keep humour close to the hard parts. It’s a mix by design: workplace realities, community ties, and entrepreneurship as a neurodivergent path.We also talk about using AI to support creative work, from scripting to short-form videos featuring Grizzly Bear Bunker. Think practical prompts, fast iteration, and accessible storytelling that meets listeners where they are. These 24-second hits—motivation, quotes of the day, and bite-size reflections—help new folks sample our tone and values before diving deeper. Along the way, we reflect on why small wins matter, how better tools can lower cognitive load, and why laughter belongs next to lived experience.Got a story of your own? We’re inviting guests with real-life lessons, messy middles, and clear takeaways. Head to our Linktree on Instagram to pitch your angle, then subscribe and share to bring more voices to the table. If this resonated, leave a review and tell us: which guest should we host next?Support the show

Send us Fan MailA red suit, a pocketful of candy, and a promise to show up—sometimes the simplest rituals change everything. We trace Chad’s journey from a childhood glimpse of “Santa” to stepping into the role himself, guided by a grandfather who turned music and kindness into daily medicine. Alongside Keith, we bring that legacy to Argyle Street, where smiles, small talk, and a gentle presence help turn a busy strip into a place that feels like family.We open with respect for Mi’kmaq territory and move into the heart of our mission: a two-eyed seeing approach to neurodiversity that pairs tradition with practical, street-level care. Chad shares how playing Santa teaches skills that matter—reading cues, using a calm voice, getting on a child’s level, and building trust without pressure. Those habits strengthen mental health, support recovery, and make social spaces safer for everyone. The community’s response—from shop staff to unhoused neighbours—shows that recognition and joy can be powerful tools for belonging.Looking forward, we’re taking Santa beyond downtown: recovery houses, women’s shelters, group homes, and seniors’ homes, with karaoke, photos, and a focus on bringing comfort where it’s needed most. We also share what’s next for the Big Bears Podcast—audio-first now, with short-form street videos on the way—to amplify stories of resilience, grit, and growth. If this mix of tradition, service, and neurodiversity speaks to you, tap follow, share this with a friend, and leave a review to help more people find the show. Got a place we should visit next season or a story to tell? Reach out and let’s make it happen together.Support the show

Send us Fan MailWe trace Daye’s path from misdiagnosis and heavy depression to an autism diagnosis that reframed struggle as difference, not defect. She shares how creativity, AI, and community-building became tools for agency, culminating in the launch of the Neurodiversity Society at SMU.• early life, loss, and compounding mental health challenges• ADHD diagnosis, autism evaluation, and class barriers to access• reframing through the ankle analogy and hypermobility link• sensory regulation, heat intolerance, and overstimulation science• creative strengths at work and translating ideas into design• AI as a judgment-free collaborator and task offloader• hustle culture, burnout cycles, and learning boundaries• returning to school, long-term planning, and stability• founding the Neurodiversity Society and rapid community growth• family roots behind the lighthouse logo and meaning• advice on environment-first accessibility and balanced “superpower” mindsetWe would appreciate it if you could listen, subscribe, engage, and share this podcastTune in every second Tuesday at 7 a.m. Atlantic time for a new episodeWe'd like to thank our sponsor...The Big Bears Podcast is sponsored by ADDvocacy ADHD & Executive Function Coaching and TrainingDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailWe sit with Marlon Whitehawk as he traces a path from childhood trauma and gangs to accountability, culture, and healing. The story is raw, grounded by Mi’kmaq community supports, and anchored by a message: there is a way out and it starts with asking for help.• land acknowledgement and our two-eyed seeing mission• Marlon’s early loss, foster care, and abandonment• accidental entry into gang life and escalation• arrest, reflection, and rejecting violence• Pathways, elders, and cultural healing• Diamond Bailey supports and re-entry routines• ADHD traits, self-sabotage, and new habits• gratitude, boundaries, and daily accountability• goals to study psychology and support youth• reconnecting with Soto roots and leading with careWe would appreciate it if you could listen, subscribe, engage, and share this podcastTune in every second Tuesday at 7 a.m. Atlantic time for a new episodeSupport the show

Send us Fan MailWhat if the person you needed most wasn’t a guru or a hack, but a community that refused to give up on you? Chad "Grizzly Bear" Bunker shares an unfiltered journey from teenage depression and addiction to relapse, recovery, and the hard-won wisdom that only comes from falling and getting back up. The story is jagged and human: a suicide attempt at nineteen, court dates and probation, detox in Dartmouth, and a recovery house that didn’t feel like progress until it did. Then an indigenous mentor named Emmett opens a door to ceremony, service, and a new way of being that reshapes everything.The path isn’t straight. Seven sober years, unaddressed ADHD, and grief crack open old patterns. Steroids promise control and deliver chaos. Strongman training becomes both salvation and trap: PRs, medals, and the kind of recognition that rewrites identity, plus a deep sense of Indigenous pride with Mi’kmaq support and a sponsor who believes. Nova Scotia’s and Atlantic Canada’s podiums prove that grit can build a life—but shortcuts always collect their debt. When losses pile up, the crash hits hard, and the mirror is full of a version of self that can lift anything except sorrow.What changes this time isn’t hype. It’s daily choices. Ten months off steroids. Meetings instead of the liquor store next door. Therapy and prayer. Boundaries and gratitude with bite. We talk about actionable tools: how ceremony and smudge can calm the nervous system; why sharing your feelings early beats crisis management; how community sponsorship and peer support outlast motivation; and why mindset is a practice, not a slogan. This is a story about learning to carry your past without letting it steer, and about turning strength from numbers on a bar to the quiet discipline of showing up today.If this resonates with you, subscribe and share it with someone who needs proof that change is messy and possible. Subscribe for more honest, grounded conversations, and leave a review to help others find the show. What’s the one daily practice that keeps you steady?We'd like to thank our sponsor...The Big Bears Podcast is sponsored by ADDvocacy ADHD & Executive Function Coaching and TrainingDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailA smudge to clear the air, then straight into the truth: Chad’s boyhood was loud with conflict and even louder with silence. He grew up between homes and expectations, carrying the weight of abuse he didn’t have words for until he finally told his mother. What follows isn’t a tidy redemption arc—it’s a lived map of detours, from city streets and school suspensions to the Nova Scotia Home for Coloured Children, where staff and community offered real care, structure, and the first sense of belonging.We walk through the flashpoints: a violent confrontation with a stepfather, the pull of group homes that felt safer than home, and the slow work of therapy. Mentors step in: a therapist who sticks, a social worker who advocates, foster parents who push and protect. Out west, the story widens—mountain trails, cross-country skiing, and the Duke of Edinburgh award. Volunteer hours turn into dignity. Music, sport, and ceremony stitch together a calmer centre. Along the way, Chad finds identity in motion: black community gatherings, Mi’kmaq teachings on family, drums he builds with his hands, and a practice of collecting feathers and prayers that keeps him grounded when old storms rise.This conversation is about more than survival; it’s about choosing what gets to speak for you. We talk ADHD, the institutional habits that both shielded and shaped him, and the moment he realized he didn’t have to let anger narrate his life. The takeaway is practical and human: mentorship matters, structure heals, community saves, and ritual sustains. You’ll hear the messy parts, the funny parts—apple wars and yard boxing—and the quiet parts where gratitude finally has room to breathe.If this story moved you or gave you a new lens on resilience, share it with a friend, hit follow, and leave a review so others can find it. Tell us what helped you turn pain into purpose—we’re listening.We'd like to thank our sponsor...The Big Bears Podcast is sponsored by ADDvocacy ADHD & Executive Function Coaching and TrainingDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailA freezing February night, a band with a name you can’t forget, and a conversation between two big guys changed our direction in life. That’s how Big Bears Podcast began—an origin story rooted in a chance meeting, ADHD, sobriety, Indigenous teachings, and a stubborn belief that community is stronger than shame.We open up about our different paths: early versus late diagnosis,  medication alternatives,  finding structure through therapy and coaching. We also dive into how sweat lodges, smudging, and daily prayer steadied our restless minds. The Two-Eyed Seeing Approach, a term coined by Albert Marshall from Eskasoni in Nova Scotia, guides us in blending Indigenous knowledge with Western medicine, and shows us that healing doesn’t end with a prescription. You’ll hear how mentors, two eagle feathers, and our first sweat together turned isolation into action, and gifted us the vision and motivation to build something useful for others.That “something” is The Big Bears Social Enterprise, designed for Indigenous and marginalized young adults to teach them to create their own path in life through innovation, entrepreneurship, and inner wisdom. We sketch out low-barrier-to-entry businesses that include, but are not limited to: Landcaping,  pressure washing, window cleaning, car detailing, drone roof inspection, AI-powered businesses, and the creative arts. We also layer in the power of motivational executive function coaching skills, goal-setting, resilience, and a growth mindset. Along the way, we talk about redefining success, why a fist bump can start a career, and how strongman training became therapy that turned anger into PRs and purpose. We also share what’s next: campus partnerships, community workshops, and a growing roster of guests from artists to world-class strength athletes.If this story hits home—if you’re rebuilding, learning to pray, or ready to make your own job when no one’s hiring—come along. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a push, and message us through our Linktree to tell your story or join our community. Let’s build something that lasts, together.We'd like to thank our sponsor...The Big Bears Podcast is sponsored by ADDvocacy ADHD & Executive Function Coaching and TrainingDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailWhat if your last name didn’t define you, but your habits did? We sit down with a military sergeant turned Canadian Strongman National Champion to unpack how a hard start, a mentor’s belief, and a broken foot led to a new identity built on discipline, coaching, and community. From hoop dreams to heavy yokes, this is a grounded look at what it really takes to climb from “just starting” to pro status without losing your love for the work.We explore the early years—single-parent home, brothers in trouble, and a decision to break the pattern—then the military years that forged structure, resilience, and a plan. The moment basketball disappeared, the weight room stepped in. A marketplace log and circus dumbbell sparked an obsession, a nine-day leap into competition, and a fast education in technique, recovery, and event strategy. Along the way, a coach’s final mantra—never waste a loss—became the backbone of meet-day focus: treat each event like the winning event, reset quickly, ignore the points, and execute.You’ll hear how a run from 11th to 5th to 1st at Nationals came from smarter peaking, better nutrition, and removing crippling pressure. We talk recovery as a competitive skill, deferring OSG and Arnold starts to return healthier and hungrier, and setting a clear target for Texas: belong, execute, and let the ranking follow. We dig into weight class realities at 105 kg, why size isn’t destiny, and what athletes can learn from Mitchell Hooper’s blend of conditioning and strength. And we shine a light on the Nova Scotia strength community—mentors like Grant Connors and coaches like Josh Dunbar—proving that inclusive gyms and sharp programming can turn belief into results.If you’re eyeing your first strongman comp or planning a comeback, this conversation gives you a blueprint: mindset before medals, food as recovery insurance, and a pre-planned response to bad days. Subscribe, share this with a training partner, and leave a review with your next big goal—we’ll cheer you on.We'd like to thank our sponsor...The Big Bears Podcast is sponsored by ADDvocacy ADHD & Executive Function Coaching and TrainingDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Send us Fan MailOur first-ever guest is the incredible Linda Peters, daughter of Elder Emmet Peters, originally from Lennox Island First Nation, PEI, and residing in Paqtnkek Mi'kmaw Nation, NS. Linda generously shares her family's firsthand story of survival and the intergenerational impacts of the residential school system.Linda goes deep on:The true origin of National Truth and Reconciliation Day and why it's essential for all Canadians/residents of Turtle Island.The meaning of "reconciliation" for her family and her Mi'kmaw community in Mi'kma'ki.A moving journey of challenge, resilience, and hope that underscores the phrase "Every Child Matters."This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking to understand the Indigenous experience in Canada and commit to the path of reconciliation. We approach this conversation through the lens of Two-Eyed Seeing (Etuaptmumk)—honoring the strengths of both Indigenous and Western knowledge systems to create a deeper, more holistic understanding of neurodiversity, culture, and life.🔔 Subscribe for more episodes that weave together neurodiversity, culture, and community in Nova Scotia and throughout Turtle Island!Support the show