Episode Transcript
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(00:03):
Shit my dad taught me. Welcome on the mic, even.
On the mic. We spent the money, bro.
Impressive. We're ready.
So I have to introduce our guestand let me start.
I'll do the whole thing. You ready, bro?
I practiced. Reginald Matthew Michael Wesley.
Adamantium Green. Werner Lochner Gray.
Correct. Welcome.
(00:24):
And. Then there's some Akas here, AKA
Reginald Antomantium Gray. It's the abbreviated AKA Reggie
or Reg or Reg I. Chose the name because all three
versions are cool. Reginald is very regal.
Reggie's a little urban, I love Reggie Noble, shout out to
(00:44):
Redman. And Reg is like, well, what
we're hitting now like a 40 something year old distinguished
gentlemen, but not of the royal type.
That's Reginald. Relatable.
So how many names is that? Like 9:00 and 9:00, it's not my
and it's the hugest pain in the butt.
I was with a gal and we were talking about we didn't want to
do the usual thing, getting married and taking the male's
(01:05):
last name. I was like, so why don't we just
like make up a name? So you were like, I'll just take
all your sisters names and brothers names.
But she was like, because we were going to change the last
name. So I was like, well, I might as
well. I don't want to be named
Matthew. Very common.
I'm a bit of a unique card. So I wanted to go with Reginald.
And then I was like, well, I might as well just change all
the middle names too. And she was like, OK, it's
(01:26):
perfect because when you do legal documents, you can just
put the middle name and the other ones can just be for fun.
And I was like, OK, great. So I changed the name, went to
get my legal documents and they looked at me and they're like,
no, you need, you need everything on there.
I was like, so I go to the passport office, they had to
call a branch manager over and they're like, we don't know what
to do with this. So they had to call another
(01:46):
branch and they're like, OK, you're going to love this.
You're going to need a special page in your passport with all
your names notarized. They're going to love you at the
border. And I get the same thing every
time. They're like, why did your
parents do this? I'm like, I didn't.
And then they're like, who are you running from?
Every time I'm like, no, I just did it for fun.
(02:06):
I think it's like, why we don't get to choose our own name.
That's very bizarre. So it's one first name, one last
name and like 7 middle names. Yeah, exactly.
So yeah, Reginald Gray is my first and last, and then the
rest of them are family. The middle one, I'm a huge
Wolverine fan. Popping the claws here, everyone
thinks they're bullets. They're Wolverines.
Thank you I. Got it that so adamantium I
(02:28):
didn't want to be too on the nose and go with Wolverine.
So the mythical metal adamantiumfrom the Marvel Universe is.
Yeah, I just put that together. There you go.
Yeah, 'cause I guess born Matthew Lochner, which is, of
course, as I know you, back in our Burlington high school days.
And then what? So that's a nice name, but then
(02:49):
life goes on and you you do something like that.
How fun is that? It was fun.
What's? What's this?
So at the border, what's the reaction for most people when
you're like making an introduction?
We just met for the first time. What do you say?
I've learned at the border, I think colloquial, if we're just
hanging out, then I'll give you the full story.
But at the border I've learned not to say that I made it up.
I was just they. We went through recently, I went
(03:11):
through with my wife. We went over to Washington State
and I knew it was coming and he's like, Oh my God.
Yeah, your parents really had a hate on for you where this
because they're really making your life.
And I'm like, Yep, I don't give them the whole story.
That I feel bad for me. Let me go.
And it did. It works.
Whenever you do that, they're just like, let you through.
But the Canadian government, when I get pulled over by the
police, they can do a backgroundcheck and they see you change my
(03:34):
name. Yeah.
And then right away they're like, why did you do that?
Are you a witness protection program?
Who you running from? What you do?
I'm just always like, no, it's for fun, yo, it's for fun.
You're like it's not easy to hide when I got 9 fucking names
on my list. Like it doesn't really keep
quiet. That's true.
It's not totally inconspicuous, Yeah, but it, yeah, it's a pain.
And I just, yeah, it was Matthew.
(03:54):
I thought it was kind of boring someone with Reginald and then
Grey was just kind of whatever, just chose a name with the X.
And then, yeah, I still have Lochner in there, which is my
birth last name, Grey. Grey's from 50 Shades for sure.
Well. It was funny, I used to live on
the road and somebody came up with the I wish I came up with
this so clever. 50 States of Grey was such a great idea when
I lived down in the States because I was travelling around
(04:16):
all the southern states with my trailer.
So that was a pretty yeah. That's a good one.
And then if you're at a cocktailparty, you just say Reggie.
Reggie Reggie's my favorite. I think it's Reggie Jackson.
Reggie Noble. Like I said, it's a badass name.
There you go. Love it.
There you go. So that's great man.
So I want to I want to do a couple things.
(04:36):
Usually we start off with a ChatGPT introduction.
It's kind of our our, our rolling gig on this.
I wanted to start with the name thing though because I feel like
a lot of people will see that inthe caption and and have to ask
some questions but. ChatGPT asked questions.
So maybe I'll start, maybe I'll do that.
Maybe I'll do a ChatGPT and tellme if the Internet got it right.
(04:59):
So it starts by saying Reginald Reggie, Adamantium Grey, so kind
of the 2/3 of the name, is a dynamic creative professional
with an extensive experience in the entertainment industry.
Known for his versatile talents as a film editor, actor, and
public speaker, Reggie has contributed to notable projects
including the documentary seriesReal Slide and from the film
(05:23):
Water Nuts. So far so good.
Wow, I didn't know the Internet knew this event.
They got you, Ben. Beyond his work behind the
camera, Reggie is a passionate advocate for storytelling as a
transformational tool. As a featured speaker at events
like the Revolution Convention, he shares his insights into the
power of creativity, resilience,and the human experience.
(05:45):
Wow. Not bad, right?
And then over here, Reggie's diverse career reflects his deep
belief that stories, whether on screen or in real life, shape
who we are and who we become. His approach to both film and
speaking is centered around authenticity, emotional truth
and inspiring others to find their voice.
This is trippy. It's good, right?
(06:05):
You know that digital brain is terrifying.
It sees you and the storytellingthing.
So I had to that. That took me back because when
you reached out, I thought, like, how's it been?
Like 'cause you and I, I think the last time we saw each other
was 25 years ago. And who was our law teacher?
I remember you the best from Lock.
It's. The last time you guys hung out,
(06:26):
Miles wasn't even born yet. Yeah.
Yeah, that's right, Miles. Wasn't.
Even born, we're just an athlete, Jesus.
You in lock? I remember watching you.
You literally could say you havetattoos on your ass older than
miles. Wow, yeah. 22, no, 22 years ago
was when I started. Yeah, Yeah, That's kind of
creepy. Here it goes.
(06:46):
You had so much charisma. Oh, thanks, bro.
You had. I remember sitting and watching
being like, man, I wish I could command a room like that.
True. I genuinely mean that.
It was like, who was our teacher?
I can't. Kiko, you know what?
And I I have to remember the last name.
And I should remember the last name because that was the
classroom I think you and I might have been sitting in when
(07:08):
911 happened. Yes.
If you go back and I always remember thinking to myself,
this is exactly where I was on September 11th when it happened.
It was his class, so Mr. Pope, Ican't remember.
Yeah, it's gonna come to me after.
But you would come up and do these like mock trials and Chris
was you were the one that was like, yo, this guy should go
into like drama or law because it was a lot of clients.
(07:29):
Yeah, yeah, I, well, that's whatyou and I always had in common,
right? Is like, I, I, I love stories.
I, I love being a part of them and telling them.
And, and you started that early on because you were one of the
first guys I knew that was, was creating content before content
creation was spoken the way thatit is today, right?
Like, so go back to high school.The first piece of content that
(07:51):
you did, I think it was a mini series, was would have been a
comedy. But that's how it started,
right? Yeah, yeah.
No, you're exactly right. Well, it all started because my
sister was creative. She was an artist in
illustrator, went to Sheridan College, so she had a Mac
computer. And my dad was a film makers and
obsessed with cameras, so he hada video camera.
And I was the only one at NelsonHigh School who could take the
(08:14):
video camera, put it on the computer.
Not the only one, but the main one.
Yeah, a little bit. I remember I felt bad about
that. Taylor Kingston was really
talented as well, so big up to him.
Not that I was talented anyways,I was like one of the few.
Nowadays, everybody has a camerain their pocket and can edit a
feature film on their phone. But back then it was extremely
rare. So I would do everybody's school
(08:35):
projects and I was a very pissedpoor student.
Like I had no right to move on to post secondary.
I was high DS, low CS. I was probably my MO, but I
started to do the filmmaking thing was like, yo, is this a,
is this a job? This is real.
OK, we're going to pursue this. Then I just got, you know, a lot
(08:56):
of practice doing other people'sschool projects.
Never finished any of your own, just.
Well, that explains the grades. Yeah.
Oh, I was always more performative because even in
English, I had to get a certain mark to move on.
And I did. AI was like, Miss Feudrich,
please, can you let me and JamesMcBain do an interpretive dance
of Oedipus Rex? And that happened in spandex.
(09:17):
It was quite ridiculous. But yeah, my dad and.
Miles might be able to cut a piece of the video in there.
Good. It's online, so yeah, I mean, go
for it. Bleach blonde hair and all, but
it was a really beautiful story because my grades were so low.
But I found something I actuallyliked.
And my dad was a professor at Sheridan College back in like
(09:37):
the 70s or 80s and he was actually passing at the time at
the end of high school. So he pancreatic cancer, it was
on his way out and on his deathbed he wrote a letter to
Sheridan and was like please forthe love of God somebody has to
give this kid a chance. And I got rejected from all post
secondary. He ended up passing May 2nd, so
right before exams and didn't have to write exams.
(10:00):
I got exempt from them. And then on his deathbed,
though, I got to show him that Igot into Sheridan.
So his alma mod, he actually went there like academically and
then taught there later. That's where he met my mom.
So it's all very full circle. Yeah.
And like the fact that when he was passing, it gave me kind of
propulsion of the next stage of my life.
And I got to go to film school, which I had no right to get
(10:23):
into. Yeah.
What was that like once he got there?
Like cuz that's you, you were a true creative and now there's
some structure, now there's. Exactly.
Yeah, it was nice just because Ifound something I cared about.
And it does make me look at like, I know we need
standardized testing and we needa bit of a scaffolding of sorts,
but man, I look at my story and I'm like, I didn't give a
(10:44):
flying. But do passion and talent can
can outweigh marks? Yeah, for sure.
And then getting into film school was like, I was
interested. I was having fun.
I was playing with model trains.I'm like, this is going to be my
career. This is so.
Cool, your fucking geography, Mark didn't matter.
Exactly, exactly. It didn't matter who, you know,
conquered whichever country, which year was like, this is
(11:05):
we're just making stories and telling stories.
And it was so much fun and the people I met.
And then once I got into the industry, I'm like, how is this
a job? How am I making money?
Doing this is hilarious. It's been that now for 22 years,
which is unbelievable. Like I pinch myself everyday.
I'm so lucky. I'm so grateful, it's so much
fun. Well, and your dad must have
(11:25):
been super proud, you know, especially at that, at that
point of a part of his life. I often think about if he could
be here and how we'd work together.
The biggest thing I think about with him are drones.
He was a pilot and you know, he spent a ton of money to make
sure he could keep doing his pilot hobby.
He wasn't professional pilot just for fun, like small planes
and he took me up a couple times, which was really special.
(11:46):
But now I look at drones, Oh my God, he would be obsessed with
them. Like I swear he would be flying.
He would have multiple, that onedies, he just takes the next one
up because that like flying was his passion.
He would take aerial photography, which back then
cost, you know, 10s of thousandsof dollars for some professional
shoots and he would just go up and do him on his own.
But now doing aerial photographyon drones is pennies on $3000.
(12:09):
Exactly. So that's the one thing where
I'm like Manny. Yeah, yeah.
And technology is obviously under this space long way from a
MacBook and a, you know, whatever your handheld was at
that time. And then you've taken that on to
some pretty cool things too. So I've watched a couple of
mini, I'm going to call them mini series, but pardon that if
(12:31):
that's not the right term, but you've done like tell us about
Reggie on the road. Yeah, I'm actually going to
backtrack a little bit 'cause I think you were kind of talking
about Border Patrol that I did coming out of high school.
And I think it's important to mention because I did a border
show in 2000, like 5. And I'm saying it in the camera
because with what's going on right now in the world, I have a
(12:53):
feeling a border show kind of comedy is going to pop up.
And I'm going to be like, yo, I did that.
But so this is my time stamp. Boom, I did.
Years ago, exactly. And there's been like a little
bit of rumbling. I've had a couple like producers
reach out to me and be like, didn't you do something a long
time ago? And I'm like, OK, I better start
like bringing it up so I have the copyright.
So this is it formally. But yeah, Reggie from the Road
(13:17):
was my biggest passion by far. So I was working in advertising
for about 5 years and it was just draining me like hey
McDonald's, I love you, you bought my house, but my God, you
can only do so much, you know? It was really weighing on me.
So what I really wanted to do was make sweet documentaries
(13:37):
about just regular people. So at the time I bought a house
in Picton in the county about two hours out of Toronto, and I
just wanted to make little documentary films.
You. Didn't want to do it on normal
people first. It's got to be weird.
It's. Got to be weird, the county
baby. This is before the county blew
up. This was like ground floor
county, so cool back then. This still is cool, but I wanted
(14:00):
to make a little documentary films about just random people
around the county. I ended up losing that
relationship ended and she and Iowned a house and we owned a
trailer a little nineteen 7012 foot trailer, 70 square feet on
the inside. And when relationships end, I'm
very bad depending on how you look at it.
I'm always like you take everything.
So I was like, you take the house, I'll take the trailer and
(14:21):
we good. So that's what happened.
So I didn't get to make my documentaries in Picton.
Instead I was like, yo, this trailer is a glorified tent.
I can't stay in Canada over the winter.
I'm going down to Texas and I'm going to make me some
documentaries about nomadic people because I'm all of a
sudden a nomadic person. I never even had an interest in
it is The funny thing. People ask me just like, yeah,
(14:42):
it just. And like it was her dream.
It was my ex's dream. She wanted a trailer.
And I was like, OK, we I've never even camped before.
And then all of a sudden I'm like, I guess I'm doing this
road life thing which other people think about for years and
have their mood boards, how theywant to build things.
I just was thrust into it. Was that out of spite A little
bit at first? Because like, that was her
dreams. You're like fuck you, I'm going
to go do this now. No, no, no, no spice.
(15:06):
It was just something like, you know, part of the adventure.
Yeah. So I went down to the States.
And I remember the first day I went to do a documentary, I was
like, hey, so I I'm very bad. Like, approaching people.
I'm a Peacock. People come to me.
That's why the tattoos, the way I dress.
Like I'm a very introverted, shyperson.
So I need people to come here and then I can open up.
So I went down to the States. I was in North Carolina and I
(15:28):
was like, OK, so now I got to make these films.
So like, so I just like walk up to people.
So I went up, walk around the trailer park, Confederate flag,
Confederate flag. And I was like, how do I wrote?
Like I'm a liberal Canadian, howam I supposed to do?
There you go. When in doubt, Goonies.
Always, Always. And then I was sitting painting
(15:49):
a lightning bolt on my trailer and this old man rode by on his
bike and he went, oh, I like your paint job.
I was like, yeah, oh, you want to talk to me?
Are we friends now? We got chatting and I was like,
can I make a I can make a video about you?
I was like, what kind of video? His name's Michael, and he is
like a surrogate father. He's so magical.
(16:09):
And that was the start of it all.
So we spent today shooting just him living in his van, as he
still does to this day. I'm off the road.
He's way harder than I am. He lives in New Hampshire and
then he drives down to Florida in the winters.
And yeah, we made this little film.
And then I was kind of off to the races and I got nominated
for a Canadian Oscar, the Canadian Screen Awards nominated
(16:30):
never won it, but it was still athrill.
It was me. It was one of those things where
they say a pleasure to be nominated and you're like, yeah,
right. But it was me with the money in
my pocket up against Rogers, Telus, Vice.
And I ended up losing, but it was like, it's huge.
It was me by myself in my trailer up against these
juggernauts. So yeah, I was nominated for
(16:51):
best non fiction web series. And it was the people I met.
Like the the road people are magical.
It's a a bit of a survival mentality.
And yeah, you just kind of hop spot to spot.
And how could you not do? The Internet's great.
It brings together this wild tribe.
That's. Crazy.
Yeah. It was a good, good era.
What? Do you think your dad would
think about like the path that you took like after getting
(17:13):
into, into film and and, you know, pursuing what you wanted
to go down? Well, it's cool because my dad
was he, not only was he a filmmaker, photographer, that's
that was his bread and butter. He was also an avid outdoorsman.
Like, he would take a canoe intoAlgonquin and go out to an
island and camp on his own. And when I was born, and, you
know, this is the 80s, so genderroles, he was like, oh, yeah, I
(17:33):
got my son. I'm going to go camping with my
son. I was a dud.
I was a total. He used to love the hell out of
me. But I would rather sit and play
Nintendo all day. And I was deathly afraid of
bees. Like, I wouldn't go out.
So they were like, Matthew, go outside and play like, no bees,
bees, bees. Terrified.
So when I got on the road, I wasall of a sudden camping every
single day because my trailer was a glorified tent, like I
(17:55):
said. So all of a sudden I was living
out my dad. Like I am my father.
I'm like, holy shit, I'm outdoors.
I'm a full time filmmaker. Like you would be so proud of
me. So I wrote an article for a
magazine being like, Dad, look at me, I live outside.
That's sick. Sad I never got to do it with
him. He never got to see me become a
filmmaker. He never got to camp with me.
(18:15):
But it's, I don't know, it's just sweet to kind of move on.
And it gets me at times just being like, wow, we, we can't
stray too far from the genome, you know?
You are your father, son. That's a real thing You were
Speaking of being a little aheadof the curve on the creative,
too. Like I feel like even that
style, like when I was followingalong watching you on this
(18:36):
adventure, that's become a huge genre now of people that are
buying Sprinter vans and, and going out and living that, well,
at least not living maybe a taste of that nomadic lifestyle,
right? And that's good content.
Now that's huge distribution, but you were doing that years
ago. It blew up, we bought our
trailer for 1000 bucks. I've had people offer me like 12
(18:57):
K for it now. Just that, just the monetary
side of it's like how popular these things are, especially the
vintage camping stuff. You still have the same one.
Still have it. I literally have people pull up
on my lawn being like, can I buythat from you?
And I'm like, just can't I just picture it even if it does get
decommissioned because it's over50 years old and it's it's what
is it They say far from good, good from afar.
(19:18):
Like she's pretty from a distance.
You get up close, you go, you pulled this across North America
didn't fall apart on you. But like, I picture it even as
just a playground for the futurekids because like it's a special
and it carried me across North America like it was my home.
It's really special to me. And I think there's a name on
that. Franny after my grandma, That's
right. And I ended up buying a 1975
(19:39):
pickup truck later named Wesley,which was my grandfather, that
he never pulled her. That was always the goal.
But yes, it was a it was a special time.
And yeah, it's blown up and and just because, especially down in
the States, how are you supposedto live?
You know, millennials trying to buy houses, Gen.
Z trying to buy houses. Doing the nomadic thing was like
a cheat code. I would go down to the my rent
(20:01):
down in the states was 500 bucksfor six months because I just
bought into a like a camp network where I could kind of
hop from camp to camp. 500 bucks.
I'm sure that doesn't exist nowadays, but shout out to 1000
trails. It saved my butt.
Canada's expensive to camp. We have all the space.
If you didn't, if you can get ittoo, like a lot of those
campgrounds, they're doing releases and if you're not on
(20:23):
that morning, you're shit out of.
Luck you got to give it to the Americans because they do like
resort camping too. We have all the amenities,
everything works. You come up to Canada, it's more
rustic, which is great in its own way, but it's more expensive
somehow and harder to get spots.Like isn't this the second
largest country in the world? Should have plenty of space, but
that was always frustrating. So when I'd come back to Canada,
I'd usually stay in the GTA to make enough money to then do my
(20:45):
six months down in the States and do kind of nothing.
Just like make content, shoot videos, have a good time, meet
up with people so much. What kind of speaking
engagements and stuff do you do?I mentioned that you do a bunch
of speaking and stuff. So that's a really long story,
the Rev Con thing, so a long, I think chat TPT is taking
something somebody said about meat some place because they're
(21:07):
really sweet and blew it up to something it's not.
When I was living on the road, Imade a film from Reggie from the
road on this amazing brigade of people.
They're so wonderful. So what they were doing, they
were full timers as well and they would take their RV's and
they would go to like mass shootings and mass trauma in the
States and they would just give counseling for free for people
who had gone through hardcore trauma, amazing human beings.
(21:30):
And it was a really magical thing.
So Michael, who I told you about, who I shot my first video
about, he met them in Florida and he was like, I think you
need to go see this Reggie guy. And they were like, is he in
need? Like going through trauma?
And he said the most beautiful thing that played out later in
my life, who they was like, not yet.
(21:50):
Gets me choked up even now, likemagical.
So anyways, these people called me and we're like, we want to
come meet with you. And I'm like, whoa, this isn't
how this works. Like I'm the thorn in people's
sides making these films. Like I come to you.
And they're like, no, we need tocome to you.
So I was like, OK, I'm in Texas,they're in Florida.
So I'll see you when I see you. And then I get it.
(22:11):
And then I get a call a couple weeks later.
Long story short, I got really bad cedar fever at Central TX.
Allergy, just strictly there. I just happened to be in at the
wrong time. My face blew up.
I was like, I got to get out of Texas.
So I went up to Tennessee and these people call me, they're
like, hey, we're in Texas, whereyou at?
And I was like, sorry, I got this cedar fever thing.
We'll do it another time. I'm sorry, I'm up in Tennessee
(22:32):
now. Like we're on our way.
It's like you. Fucking dedicated that these
people. Freakazoids.
So they come up to Tennessee, wemake the film.
We just hang out for a few days.Really lovely, warm people, and
we make the film. Actually, the first time I met
them is hilarious. I tell this story so often
because when people are like, what was the road?
Like this is my #1 So they're like, yeah, come over, we'll
(22:52):
break bread. And I like that too.
Like I want to get to know my subjects before I make a film
about them. Just get comfortable kind of
thing. So like, yeah, come over, we'll
make you some food. It'll be really fun.
I was like OK so I show up at their trailer.
I come over, it's at night, we're in middle of nowhere
Tennessee. Purple light is just bursting
from this trailer. I'm like what the fuck is going
on in there? So I open the door.
(23:13):
Biggest hugs I've ever received.I was like OK cool, just warm
people this is great now here, take a seat, take a seat, take a
seat. I sit down and they all sit
around me, like in a kind of semicircle.
I'm like, this is kind of weird.And they're like, OK, Reggie, we
just wanna. Since we've been on the road, we
all decided we're gonna collect rocks that we think best suit
(23:35):
you. And I was like, OK, so then they
went around and they're like, this is my rock for this.
And they explained it to me. And I was just like, oh, that's
very sweet, thank you. And I just took these rocks and
put them aside. And I was like, hey, can we just
hang out now? And like, no, no.
We all sat and we had a moment to figure out the one word that
best describes you just from ourpraying and our feeling, the
(23:57):
universe. We want to share that one word
with you each. I was like OK, so I sat here and
they went around the semicircle and each read their word to me
and then handed me a piece of paper with the word on it and
explained why that word. And I was like, OK.
The weirdest circle jerk ever. That comes lady only two viagras
in, so you need to let them kick.
(24:18):
Yeah, poor guys there with his pants around his ankles and he's
got rocks everywhere. That's a weird.
One getting their rocks off. Well played.
That needed to be said that. Needed to be said.
So that they just kept doing these, like sharing moments.
And I was like, yo, could we just kick it?
And then they're like, we got one more gift for you.
And I was like, oh, shit. OK, So the guy gets up, he walks
into the back and he came out and presented me with a samurai
(24:42):
sword. I was like, yo, you know your
audience? Because before I had left to go
on the road, I had a huge collection of like Japanese and
Chinese weapons. I love like samurai culture and
samurai swords. I'd like 6 or 7 samurai swords,
but I'm like, I can't bring these over the border.
And they presented me with one and an American switchblade.
Like those illegal like. The real ones, yeah.
(25:03):
Which I love because I'm like very mid century and like those
are like. The butterfly nuts.
Yeah, so they gave me these weapons and I'm like, this is
you. I just got rid of all mine.
Thank you. And then we just kicked it and
we had a great time. Anyways, to get back to what
we're talking about, these people are very big deals.
It turns out you can never judgea road person 'cause you're
(25:24):
like, well, these people are poor.
These people ran a giant convention in Las Vegas and
they're like, oh, we want to give you a thank you for having
us in your video. I'm like, you don't have to like
the thank you's from me to you. Like, I want to make these
films, and you did me a favor giving me your time.
Like, it's kind of a symbiotic. And they're like, no, we need to
thank you. Can you be at the Toronto
International Airport at this time?
(25:45):
I was like, OK, I was back in Canada at the time.
So I went over to the airport. I went to get on my plane first
class. I was like, OK, I got on the
plane. Fly to Vegas, get off the plane,
get off the plane with a guy holding my name on a placard.
I'm like, everybody's always dreaming of this.
So I'm like I'm Reginald Gray and.
(26:06):
He's like, all right, bird. To your limo and I was like to
my what like I'm I was I woke upin a trailer park this morning
and he's like yeah no we the limo's been sent for you OK so
they guide me over to limo I getin a limo I'm driving like this
is insanity this. Is going to be a great place to
sleep, yeah. Finally, it's going to be warm.
100 square feet. They took me to this hotel on
(26:30):
the Vegas Strip and I went up tothe concierge, like, Oh no, you
have a private concierge. I'm like, this is insane.
Go over the private concierge, private elevator up to my suite,
the presidential suite. You could fit 25 of my like it
was insane. I had, there was one room where
I could stand and I had ATV on every single wall and I was just
like, I could spin and watch like everything.
(26:51):
And yeah, they were putting on this like better.
They wanted to Better Business. Like they wanted to make, they
had a lot of Business Contact, very Long story short, and they
were there to make business better.
And they brought in all these American bigwigs and they're so
sweet. They brought me in as like they
kept calling me a celebrity, buta Canadian celebrity.
So nobody knew who I was. So all these American big wigs
(27:12):
were just like, oh, who's this Canadian guy?
And they they called me Sir Reginald.
So they thought I was royalty. So I didn't really speak at this
thing, but they were so you're. A guest at it.
Yeah, I was a guest and like a celebrity poker tournament and I
was one of the And I was just like, they're so sweet and kind.
But anyways, they treated me like royalty.
But where it all comes back to is like this came from, like
(27:33):
hanging out in a trailer park inHohenwald, TN, and all of a
sudden I'm a High Roller in Vegas.
Like, that was what the road wasso magical for these connections
with people. And these are lifelong friends
now. They now own a mountain in
Washington. So if you ever want to go visit
them, they own. It's pretty insane.
So yeah, it was a fun experience.
(27:54):
That's crazy. It's always neat to see how
things snowball like that. Hey, you just put yourself out
there and be awesome and watch what happens, right?
And I think that's the message too.
Like if anybody's listening to this, because I'm sure you get a
lot of younger guys and girls that are watching you and your
your path. And like, I always remember
going back to when we were teenagers, it was didn't give a
fuck. Like put the content out, wasn't
(28:17):
perfect, didn't need to be. What's your methodology on that?
Or what would you say to young guys watching?
I never had one, especially the trends.
I'm not. I've always marched to a beat of
my own pan flute. Like I've just never watched the
trends. I just do whatever I think.
You fucking started them you allthese TikTok dance videos.
You did it when you were in 2001.
(28:39):
Spandex and blonde hair I. I am the Harlem Shake.
No, it's I, I don't have any like I don't.
And, and I mean numbers wise, like I'm not a big deal.
Like I, I and I, it's annoying at times.
I look at him like, man, I was like a pioneer.
Like when there was no algorithmand literally would just post
things and it would do well because people would see it
because there was no filter. There was no sieve, so I don't
(29:02):
have a recipe and I'm not that big.
Like there there were times definitely like through my
emotional journey where I was like, damn, I should be a big
deal. I should like I'm funny, like
I'm creative, but like, but I just got to the point where I
was like, you know, the cards are kind of stacked against you.
I'm just going to do what I think's funny.
And through all my content creation, the whole key were the
people like the relationships I made, including being able to do
(29:25):
this. Like that was what entertainment
was for for me, which was it wasall about the people.
You were living it for your purpose.
Yeah, yeah. And and it was frustrating
times. I would.
It's not like I'm sitting here being like, no, I don't care.
I don't need the numbers. I don't care about being, you
know, worship. Like there were times where I
was like, no, I wanna be a celebrity.
I wanna be an influencer. So I did go through kind of dark
(29:47):
days of being depressed and feeling rejected and like hurt
by the algorithm and like being like I'm deserved more.
But I never abandoned just doingI There were the only time that
I ever did trends was to make fun of them.
Like I would do like the pointing video, but I would make
fun of the pointing video kind of or do a lip sync, but I'm
making fun of the lip sync. Like what do you people do?
(30:10):
Why are we lip syncing to like these little clips?
It's just I look at them, I'm like, what are we doing?
Making the remake of the remake video just to get followers.
It's the like VHS of the VHS of the and it just starts to
degrade. So I don't know like power to
everybody, like get your numbers, get your thing.
You figured out the algorithm, good for you.
I just never, I didn't want to take the time to learn the
(30:33):
algorithm and I think I was kindof penalized for that.
But then I think in terms of my emotional Wellness, I think it
did me good because I had to kind of wrestle with that.
I had to learn to be comfortablewith myself and not succeeding
like I I don't know, I question all this being a simulation
often and I think I'm not. I'm supposed to always get to
the to the kind of the line but never breakthrough.
(30:56):
Like nominated for a Canadian Oscar, nominated to get like
starting to be an influencer butI just never get traction.
Like writing ATV show, getting it looked at by producer but
never getting it made like so. I've always been clawing and
clawing and clawing, but I thinkI'm not supposed to make it is
how I rationalize it anyways. Yeah, I gotta so I, I think you
(31:16):
are, dude. And I think that the, the path
is like, you know, I, I think the, the opportunity presents
itself when, when you're ready for it, right?
Like, and so much of this might just be your, your, your B roll,
to use a term or might be your path, right?
Because some of the shit you've put out, like the one that
actually really got me was when you were on the East Coast in
(31:36):
Canada and you bought a house. Tell me about about that one.
Yeah, so I, my long, long, long,long term goal was to own a
house, old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, Quebec.
I speak 0 French. Part of the journey, it'll just
be fun. Like I'd look at life as
performance art and I would justbe like, that's another role for
me to play as this Frenchman. Just figure it out, figure it
(31:58):
out. But it was during COVID, right?
So I was like, I probably shouldn't.
And at the time we thought COVIDwas extremely, who knows what
this could be. So I was like, I probably
shouldn't move to non-english speaking.
I didn't want to get off the road yet.
I probably had like 3 or 4 yearsleft in me.
I still wanted to keep going, but I just was like, I'm not
going to be able to go back to the states for the foreseeable
future, which was true. So I was like, I got to get off
(32:20):
the road. I got to buy a house.
I'm moving my dream up. I don't want to go to Quebec
because it's potentially dangerous.
I really wanted to go to New Brunswick because I wanted to do
an Airbnb. And New Brunswick to me made
sense because you're going to get people from PEI, Nova
Scotia, Maine, and like Quebec, Maine.
So I tried and I tried. I tried this old church and it
was so beautiful. It was built in 1900, had a
(32:41):
dance hall so dreamy. And I had a real I had to buy
sight unseen. So I had a realtor go look at it
and she was like Reginald, I don't believe in ghosts.
I've been doing this for 30 years.
That's the first place I've everwalked into that was evil.
I'm not one of those people who's like, great.
I was like, no, no, yeah, I love.
(33:03):
That show, yeah. People like you.
I wish. I, my wife would be the
opposite. She she won't, she wouldn't buy
a house that's on the same fucking block or vicinity of
like a of a cemetery or something.
But I'm like fuck, I would move into a church no problem on a
cemetery. There are two different people,
Chris. Where do you lie in that?
So 100% believe in ghosts, and I've got two or three stories
that cannot be explained. Yeah, real things that I've seen
(33:25):
with my own eyes so but but believe and have.
Seen I hear it which I've been there.
Rewind like as a kid or whatever, like I, I always had
like, you know, you get the feeling like it's, you know,
hair standing up on the back of your neck or little, you know,
stomach feeling or whatever, kind of always had that.
But then we had moved up north to a lodge and it was absolutely
(33:49):
haunted. 100% And I'll tell the story quick not to.
I mean, I want to hear more about yours, but so move up
there with the family. We knew that we would been
purchasing the the resort from awidow and that was about all
that we kind of knew at the time.
Started going up there and I hadthere was a main lodge.
(34:11):
There was a staircase up to the apartment.
So the apartment was above the the complex where everybody
would and it had a kitchen and it had a nice little like it was
a lodge, right? Very welcoming.
We did small weddings, we did small gatherings and those kind
of things. There was a kitchen on the main
floor that I had to walk by every night because I had a
puppy at the time. Shout out Tatum, my little, my
(34:32):
little boxer pop. So he'd have to go out, right.
So we'd always walk by and the first couple times he would sit
and stop and lock eyes on something.
And sometimes his little butt would start to go like he'd
start to wag his tail, which was, if you've had a puppy, you
always know that that's them being, you know, friendly
greeting. And then we'd started to hear
things, and then we started to whatever.
And I figured out that if I walked by it at a certain pace
(34:55):
and kept my eyes forward, I could see somebody.
Just out the peripheral. Yeah, just out the peripheral
and I could see and it was, it was a man and I could see that
they were probably a tall guy, 6foot something and kind of
heavyset. But if you looked or you
stopped, there was nothing there.
So I started to kind of make it a bit of a game where I would
(35:16):
walk by and try and look a little bit more and try and look
a little bit more. And this one night I walked by
and it was the first time that they weren't actively working in
the kitchen. They kind of had their head
turned and I got just enough of a glimpse to see his face.
And it was like this weird moment where I'm like, I felt
like he saw me and I saw him andwe had this like weird moment.
(35:37):
And so this was freaking my wifeout because she used to see the
same things and like it just, itwas kind of this awkward thing,
but the energy was always reallypositive.
Like the energy was they're working in the kitchen, they're
trying to get something done. They're trying to like that was
that was the vibe. So life goes on.
About a month after the I had the time where I saw his face,
(35:57):
there was a newspaper that showed up and it was from the
local newspaper. And there was a picture on the
front. And I went.
That's the guy. No way A. 100% that's the guy.
And that's all I said. And then we read the article and
went through it and sure enough,got to the bottom and it was
citing his story was kind of like an in memoriam piece.
(36:20):
And sure enough, his last name was the same last name from the
widow that we bought it from. Yeah.
At any point did you feel fear or was it no?
No, he was always the, the energy I would put it towards
is, is he was trying to get something done, like he was
working in the kitchen to get something ready.
So I, I made some friends up there and we ended up talking
and found out that he passed away.
(36:42):
And he passed away there like within 10 feet of where I was
seeing him. Yeah.
And then the story goes, and I kind of knew it and then learnt
more about it. He was a chef and so his job was
to work in the kitchen. Yeah, did your kids ever see?
Anybody didn't have kids at the time?
No, just the just the pup and actually my girlfriend at the
(37:04):
time who's now my wife. That's what.
Did she see anything? Yeah, she did.
Yeah, she. She used to, like, there was no
chance she's going to let him out without me.
Like, just wouldn't do it. Like once we were tucked in for
the night if he had to go outside.
That was my job, Yeah. Rightfully so.
Rightfully so. But it is amazing how when we're
confronted with those paranormalthings, it doesn't strike like
one would think. I saw a UFO once down by my
(37:26):
place. Yeah.
And somebody said to me, So was it scary?
I was like, no, it was awesome. I was like, what the No, yeah,
it was wicked. And I thought it would be scary.
I haven't seen any paranormal stuff.
But to bring it back, I bought. So I ended up not going to New
Brunswick. I my friend James McBain, who
you might remember from high school, he he lives in Nova
Scotia. He moved back as he went to
(37:47):
Acadia and he said, hey, look inNova Scotia.
And I was like too far on the edge of the earth if I still
want to be nomadic. And then I was like, fine, I'll
look because the New Brunswick thing fell through.
The first one that came up was the house that I bought, bought
a sight unseen 127 acres, 1850s old farmhouse, beautiful, but
similar to what you're saying, like definitely haunted.
(38:10):
But I've I've never seen anything.
But I only get good vibes only. And it's interesting because the
former owner reached out to me with an e-mail just being like,
just so you know, here's a bunchof stuff about the house,
including it was the Hospice forthe area.
So they had the death room. He's like, if you ever feel any
spirits, it's this room because that's where all the laborers in
the area would go to die. Because my house was the
(38:31):
original house where they then built around it.
And whenever anybody was sick orold or dying, they would go
there. And he's like, but it was always
good people. It was a happy place.
And I don't feel anything. But the weird thing is under my
stairs has been boarded up, so drywalled over.
If you knock on it, you can hearthat there's a door there.
And apparently the great grandfather's toys are in there.
(38:52):
And I'm like, why'd you board itup?
And if I open that and there's afucking Ouija board, you can buy
my house the next day. I had a couple of those
experiences too, but on the scary side and on the knot.
So I totally believe in that shit.
And even on the scary side, I don't really know, like I've
never really like gone deep intothis, but like, I just believe
(39:13):
that those souls, whether like it's a scary situation or one
like yours, I just feel like they're looking for an answer,
looking to finish something still before they can move on to
the next, the next chapter. So like I embraced every one of
those situations. Like it was just like, hey, like
whatever I can do to help you. So I just went into it.
Other than the one situation where I was like 10 and my
brother was like 7. We were scared shitless, but we
(39:35):
figured it out over the next couple years what it was.
And that person, I believe, justneeded help getting to the next
spot where they needed to be. So, like, it doesn't scare me,
but I totally, 100% believe in that shit, Yeah.
Yeah, our senses are pathetic. Like really.
And there's there are so many dimensions that we don't even
understand. So I think we would be really
(39:56):
arrogant to say that this is it,yeah.
I don't believe in all the card reading shit and all that kind
of stuff cuz I. Should put my tarot cards on.
Yeah, I was gonna do. Don't bring them out.
I've never been to 1 and that stuff I don't truly believe in,
but I do believe in for sure theafterlife and souls out there
searching for what they wanna finish doing for sure.
I think some people hang out with us too, Like I, I have so
(40:19):
for, since he's passed, my grandfather's been with me.
Like I just, there's things thatI've seen and there's one
incident specifically where it was just undeniable that, that
we had that. So like, you know, you talk
about your dad, like in my mind.And again, your experience is
yours and it's it's super personal and I don't mean to
encroach on it, but I hear that story and I'm like, bro, do you
(40:40):
think he's not watching? Like you think he's not flying
in his own drone, like trying tofollow along?
I love deed, he is. Like guaranteed, right?
Because I just don't think that that's, I don't think that's the
end. Yeah, I don't think so either.
I don't think so either. I think there are dimensions we
don't get. If anyone's done any
psychedelics, like you can't tell me there's not something
else going on. Yeah, we, we have pathetic.
(41:01):
We we, you know, look through only our lens.
Like even birds, they can see ultraviolet.
Therefore there's color spectrumwe can't see, so who's to say
there isn't? You know the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th,
9th, 10th, 11th dimensions that we who knows?
Yeah. How much have you gone down that
road? Like ever done DMT?
Never done DMT, lots of mushrooms, had an insane trip.
(41:23):
I did a hero dose by myself 6g wound up in a mental
institution. That was a hell of a trip.
They learned a lot there. And then yeah, I ended up with
drug induced psychosis and then severe PTSD that I'm still
coming out of in a lot of ways because I'll just sit there and
just go down the rabbit hole of like, what is a microphone?
Like how is this real? What I don't understand.
(41:44):
Then the wires connected and then they can hear me.
But then like I'll just start tomicro everything.
And it comes from the combination of PTSD, psychosis
and psychedelics of just like questioning everything.
Nothing is real yet. Everything's hyper real yet.
There's no middle ground. It's just seems to kind of go
one way or the other. Yeah, no DMT, no LSD, ketamine
(42:07):
or any of those things. Just mushrooms.
And yeah, I had my like, as the doctors put it, my damn broke,
like we can all tolerate so much.
And then my damn broke and I wound up in a mental institution
for a week. And then I ended up coming back
to Burlington to be with my mom,to feel safe.
And I was like, you know, Everything Everywhere All at
Once is playing in the movie theater.
It's my favorite movie of all time.
(42:27):
I've never seen it in the cinema.
I'm going to go see it, but I'm going to go see it on weed, man.
Wound up in a mental institutionagain because it just just
shattered my consciousness. You broke that wall.
Yeah. Broke the wall.
Broke the wall. Woke up in a mental institution.
Was like, shit. And I thought I fried my brain.
I was like, I'm done. And then the PTSD was a long
(42:47):
road to recovery. And now to bring everything kind
of full circle, I ended up goingto the mountain in Washington to
see my friends who Michael told them he doesn't need you yet,
but he will. And when I was crashing so hard,
hardcore PTSD, so scared of reality, I was like, I need to
go to Washington. They came to me when I was
tripping balls in the hospital. They came to me and there was
(43:10):
like this weird glass of liquid.And they were these like blue
liquid, like angels of sorts. And they're like, we can't help
you here. Sorry.
We love you. You are so loved, but you are
here. You have done this and now you
have to suffer through it. But hit us up when you're out.
And when I got out, I reached out to them and was like, I need
you. And they're like, we're flying
(43:30):
you to Washington and then livedon their mountaintop and got
counseled like, you know, well, ask the health industry what
they can do. But to have like I was yoga
everyday, massages everyday, just talking everyday at nauseam
with people who I'm friends withtoo, right?
So there's a shorthand there anda place to feel comfortable.
They saved my life. Like I was suicidal, like on the
(43:53):
verge of peace and out because this was too much.
Reality was reality was too much.
I do believe that micro dosing of psychedelics is going to be
the future for sure. Well, that's The funny thing.
It grows neurons. And I've been I've now started
micro dosing and I stick to a micro dose.
I'm never going more than yeah, but I also think like what I
(44:14):
went through, like I had a lot of head trauma just playing
hockey and football and all thisstuff.
And even as a baby, like I always had a like a goose egg on
my the front of my head from falling over.
So it's like prefrontal cortex stuff, right.
And I think taking 6g at a time,I think I faced everything I'm
afraid of. I faced the other dimension.
(44:36):
I I think I died in that moment.I really do in a metaphorical
and literal way. Like I have all the signs of
somebody with a near death experience.
So I was by myself. Who knows?
But I think my cortex grew and made me a better human making
way better decisions. And was that the mushrooms or
was it the experience after? We'll never know.
(44:56):
But to your point, yeah, I thinkit's the future as well.
Yeah, I've, I've been super invested in it like for like 7-8
years when it was like the thingnever to talk about.
And now it's like slowly it's slowly getting there.
Like government regulation and shit is what's holding my back.
But it, it'll get there. It is the future for sure.
I don't doubt it. And it's it's like the oneness.
(45:17):
We're just all one. And it's like when as soon as
you do a psychedelic, it's so funny because I did them like, I
don't know, like 2025 times prior to all of this.
But I never did it with intention.
I just did it for fun. It was like, oh, cool, fun
colours, everything looks like gasoline, etcetera.
And then I remember I hung out and did it with a friend of mine
and she was like, yeah, I do them therapeutically.
(45:38):
And I was like, Oh no, I have a hardcore rule.
Like, you know, some substance abuse exists in my family.
So I never drink alone. I never do drugs alone.
It's a hard no for me. And she's like, I don't know, I
do it therapeutically. You might want to try it.
So I did just one gram when I was mowing the lawn, which is my
favorite thing to do. It's like the most meditative.
It was my they used to call it achore.
I was like, I want to mow the lawn every day.
(45:58):
This is awesome. So I did some mushrooms.
That was the first time I ever did any substance on my own.
And I walked with God. Like it was just so beautiful.
I've never felt more loved. And for the first time, I wasn't
doing it as a party drug. It was like to actually go kind
of introspective and then that'swhere I was like, oh, I'm going
to go one step further and do 6Gby myself in my trail.
(46:18):
No, that was a little learned a lesson on that one.
I know we've talked about the DMT thing and like he introduced
me to like what what guys were doing and like the Joe Joe Rogan
podcast and shit like that. And what worries me about that
is the same same as what happened to you is that like I
overthink things a lot when likeI'm in a different space.
So like the micro dosing part doesn't doesn't faze me at all.
(46:40):
And I I totally understand it and I appreciate it and I
believe in that. But like the DMT thing scares
the fuck out of me. Not for the fact that like
nobody dies from doing that shitand whatever, but it, it can
really fuck with some people mentally afterwards where like
you've hit a different place where like you've broken that
wall or you've broken that dam. And that's what worries me
because I overthink shit like crazy.
And I just like, I don't want tobe in my head where like, I know
(47:03):
a lot of people that get to thatspace and they just, they love
it and they they can refresh with it.
Where I think I would be on the other side of that spectrum and
I would like be over in my head on that, yeah.
Yeah, it's interesting to see that.
Like you could sit back and chill with that.
I think where a lot of, I think a lot.
Of the time, man, but I mean, sometimes though, like and I've
had the the shroom instances where it goes past your
(47:26):
tolerance and you're not drivinganymore.
Like it's it's not you, it's notyour conscious, it's not your
like, you know it it can take onits own life.
So I think you got to be careful.
And I think the lesson here is like from one to seven is not
the right might be from 1 to 1 1/2 to maybe 2.
And like, just just use caution because the, you know, like so
(47:47):
many things that that we take and that we do, if it can have
positive outcome, you know, it can have negative outcome for,
you know, every action there's an equal, if not greater
reaction, right? And you have to kind of have
that discipline when you go and try these things to try and
learn about yourself because they can also be super powerful
tools for like you talk about your PTSD.
You and I have a friend in common.
I won't put him on blast on here, but he had a very similar
(48:09):
experience. I don't think he talks about it,
but his was so anxiety inducing that he didn't even know what
anxiety was before that. And now he lives with it daily.
So that led to him having to gettreatment.
He's on pharmaceutical treatmentas well, too.
And he's just never found that balance again.
Yeah. So we got to be really aware of
(48:30):
the effect that these things arefor real.
For real. And.
And that wiring upstairs that prefrontal cortex that, you
know, that that can have the positive effect, can also have
have the negative effect. And it's.
Yeah, but. But at the same time, like I
also know guys and you know, I want to ask you about men's
mental health in a second because Jamie and I are are, you
know, it's, it's at the forefront of everything we do.
(48:51):
We're we're incredibly passionate about guys having the
ability to, you know, talk aboutit and it's OK to not be OK.
I've seen that in that world, specifically guys with PTSD
really have some incredible outcomes from the micro dosing
and from usually it's talk therapy is the balance with
that. But the fact that guys are
trying it is like that gets me excited because I'm like, OK, so
(49:13):
we're now having the conversation.
We're not running towards a pillbottle and we're trying to
figure out if there's a way to do this, maybe even
homeopathically. Like, that's exciting times.
Right NTRT. Yeah, yeah, for sure.
Yeah. Like that's, and Jamie, and I've
had this talk too, like we're inour 40s now, right?
So we both Jamie before me, but then I went and had a look at
(49:34):
testosterone and had a look at, you know, the, the chemical side
of, of anatomy. Because we, we can go out and
get, you know, that the private side of the healthcare will do
it a lot faster. And you can really figure out,
you know, do your blood work. And we've had some guests come
on here who do some incredible testing about anatomy and about
everything that's going on in your body.
And you can make those adjustments.
(49:56):
And now what's cool is there's there's so much awareness on it
that these guys are trying thesegreat things to try and create
therapies for themselves and balance.
And you know, you know, Nelson would say if he was here, try
and get those pillars all straight, right?
It's mind, it's body, it's spiritual and that that's been a
fun journey. So so my question for you is on
the mental health side, how are you doing today?
(50:18):
What, what, what do you do to stay in balance?
Because outsider looking in, you're an incredibly awesome
guy. You've got happiness, you've
got, you know, energy. How do you create that?
How do you balance that? It's been an unraveling to get
there, right? Because similar to what you just
said, from the outside looking in, wearing that mask, like I
(50:38):
remember going, I went to therapy for the first time.
I was, I always knew I was different and something was
weird in me, but I never wanted to go to therapy because of what
you said. I never wanted to be medicated.
Like I never wanted to be dulled.
I never wanted to be dependent on something And just I'm not a
big pharmaceuticals guy. All the power to it.
They worked for you. Terrific.
Great. Use them, especially if a
doctor's prescribing them. Hopefully there, but for me, it
(51:01):
scared me and I didn't want to do it.
I remember finding a psychoanalyst who was like,
don't believe in it. You're safe.
Let's talk. And it was just, that was the
start of the process of just unraveling everything.
And then I think it's just that what my 30s were, my wife is now
entered. She's in her 30s now just
getting into it. And I'm like, yo, I hope you
have a better 30s than I did because it was just the process
(51:24):
from 30 to 40 was so incredibly painful.
I liken it to a birth right and it sounds cheesy to do the like
rebirth thing but my God has it been for me.
Every woman right now wants to punch you, right?
Yeah, I don't. Know.
Nothing like a fucking birth. My wife's pregnant right now, so
I'll hear about this on September 14th.
Yeah, September. 14th you and your fucking man cold.
(51:46):
Remember when you said that? But it has been like you said,
from the outside looking in, right?
It's it's removing the mask, facing everything that's wrong.
And when I was kind of getting counseling about the trip I went
on, it was that it was like facing my own death, my
mortality, loneliness, like the guilt and shame that I've just
(52:08):
dealt with throughout my whole life.
And now those things have been addressed and I now address them
daily and they still scare the shit out of me.
I'll still go through mortality spirals, but instead of being
like, Oh my God, I'm going to die.
It's like I'm going to die, so Ibetter enjoy this.
Yeah. And like the tech side of thing.
(52:29):
I even was having meltdowns about AI and the implications of
it. And are we going to have to
choose if we're going to die or not?
Like, that stuff freaked me out.But even that I'm.
I'm back in school, which I'll get to in a second, but I'm
starting to learn to use AI and I'm like, OK, maybe it isn't
such an enemy. And like, it says pretty cool
things about me. So it's been this, like,
(52:50):
learning of how to face fears, even the ones I didn't even know
I had. And the trip had to show me by
shoving in my face. And another thing you said in
there, too that really stuck with me was during my trip, it
was like I was held down at one point, and the mushrooms were
saying, you think this is fun? Yeah.
You think this is fun? You going to keep doing things
like substances for fun? And it was like, whoa, no, this
(53:14):
is serious business. Like you said, like anybody
who's just doing it to be like, I'm going to do some self
discovery. Like all the power to you.
Be careful as hell. But to really get back to what
you're saying, I remember sitting in that therapist office
and looking at this psychoanalyst and being like,
with all the letters on his name, he was a professor at U of
T And I was like, Oh my God, what a cool job, like helping
(53:38):
people going into the mind. And this is when I was 30.
And I was like, I could never have that job because I told you
my high school career, I was ACDstudent.
I only got into call arts college.
Although you got a lot of fucking letters behind your
name. Yeah, I did, yeah.
I had to go about it in a different way.
Yeah, that was my. Well played, well played.
That's the lesson from today. You don't need the education.
(53:58):
You can just add letters to yourname Man A. 150 bucks.
All my initials are doctor. So what happened recently?
After this trip and after recovering from PTSD, I was
like, yo, I want to help people.And like, I've been an artist
for 22 years. I've made a living doing it.
It's what a gift. But I haven't done anything for
anyone. Entertain people, Sure, yeah,
(54:19):
there's frivolous economy in there.
But it's like, I want to actually, like, help people.
And I looked through the therapist I dealt with and the
way that my friends in North Haven helped me in Washington.
And I was like, I would love to be able to bring it all together
and like, take my arts background and use my right
brain to help people. So I'm in Nova Scotia and our
(54:40):
mutual friend James McBain livesthere.
He went to Acadia. His wife is the head of
communications in at Acadia University.
And she's like, hey, do you wantto come work at Acadia?
And I was like, I've never had areal job before.
I don't, I don't, I'll do the interview process.
So I did the interview and I waslike, I can't do this.
So I turned them down. I was like, no, I can't be
(55:00):
locked down. I can't like.
Work for the man. Yeah, I can't work for the
people working for the man. So I did some freelance stuff
for them and I'm like, they're like, you can have this fancy
office, you can have like a gym membership.
We're going to buy some equipment.
I'm like, OK, you're sweet in the deal.
And I was like, can I go to school?
And I'm like, yeah, you get benefits.
(55:22):
Like if it's related to your job, you get 100% off.
If it's something you just want to take, you get 50% off.
I'm like, OK, so I went in and Iwas like, OK, I'm I'm going to
become a psychologist. Like I'm going to become that
therapist. I'm going to, I'm willing to put
in my like, it's going to take me like 12 years probably
because I can only take so many classes at a time, but I'm like,
I'm going to do it. So I applied and even the
(55:42):
admissions people were like, looked at my grades.
They're like, yeah, so you're probably going to have to take
some like these are like high school courses and then we'll
get you in. But I was like, I'm going for,
I'm going balls out. Boom.
I'm going to become a psychologist.
So I applied and I got in. So this past year, going back to
school, I'm in university for the first time at 40.
All my classmates are 18 or evenyounger than Miles.
(56:06):
And I look around like nothing in common with these kids.
But the beautiful thing was like, we had a class in this
last semester where they taught about schizophrenia, PTSD,
psychedelics. And I sat there being like,
these kids are learning about it.
That's terrific with they have way more neuroplasticity than
me, but I lived it. Like I've had schizophrenia.
(56:28):
I've been in a mental institution.
So what I'm so excited about is eventually getting my doctorate,
moving in, becoming a therapist.And like I've lived this stuff
and then my background as a filmmaker and story because
narrative therapy is a thing andlike I have a background in
narrative storytelling. So it's like bringing that into
therapy, bringing psychedelics into therapy, which is going to
(56:50):
happen. Like you said, by the time I
graduate, it will probably be like a legal instituted
treatment for PTSD or even just discovering oneself if
administered in the right way. So to your point, Chris, of like
everything coming together and like my path, I'm sitting here
going whoa, like it is all coming together and I want to
(57:10):
spend the last half of my life helping people and being like a
safe place to guide people back from where I came from.
Because I thought I sat there for those, especially the first
year after the PTSD after the trip and I was like, I fried my
brain. There's no way back from this
like that regret in that moment.And if somebody could have just
(57:30):
been like, yo, I've been throughthe exact same thing and I'm not
be come back from it. That's all I needed.
But there was nobody there to dothat and bless the healthcare
system. They do what they can, but
there's a lack of that like love.
And I remember the psychiatrist they had helped me through the
government walked in and goes, why does it say analog across
(57:52):
your head like immediately like what's wrong with this guy
supposed to be like, how are youfeeling?
Like what's, what are you going through?
They're. Already judging you?
Yeah, they looked at me like I was a nut case because I have a
word written across my head and I kind of am.
But it was this thing that I sawin my opening.
I'm like, I can. And all of a sudden I'm getting
a straight A pluses. This is a guy who was AC and AD
(58:13):
student in high school. I just wasn't interested.
I just didn't have drive. And now I'm addicted to learning
every day that I have downtime from work or relationship.
I'm studying every single day. I just a week ago finished my
last exams for psychology in math 40 years old.
I'm back in math class because you need to learn statistics to
(58:34):
do psychology which I now understand why but that doesn't
make me like it anymore. But I just finished A plus, I
got 95% and I'm like, who is this guy?
Right on, man. And it's addictive.
You just needed your inspirationand you found it.
It took a bit, but. I had to go through hell, but I
now see my calling. I have my calling and I love
(58:54):
art. I had so much fun.
And it's this beautiful transition, right?
Because I'm working at Acadia University as they're like local
film makers. So I make those cute little
documentaries I was making aboutpeople on the road.
I'm making about students and faculty.
They're doing really cool research.
So like they're stimulating and actually really fun.
They also give me carte blanche.They're like, make a film about
this. I think it's a really great work
(59:16):
environment. And my boss is my best friend
from high school's wife. Like it's just, and so it's a
taste of Burlington in there too, which is so feels like
home. And so at the same time I'm, I'm
working at Acadia doing like film makings kind of coming
down. But then I'm also learning
psychology at the same time. So like my next career is like
birthing out of the old career, which is like magical.
(59:37):
And I I also just met my baby. I'm tearing up for you met my
wife and like everything just started to click all at the same
time. And I'm like, what did I just
went through hell? And like part of me is like, I
deserve this. And then part of me is like, did
I die? So like there's still that part
of me too that's like, is this heaven?
(59:59):
Am I transitioning into like heaven?
If this is like they're just I don't get it.
It's it's and I got my baby on the way and it's like all these
things at once. It's your second calling.
Your first one was to go, to go be you, to go live your life and
learn who you you were. Now you're getting your second
calling. Or you get to go help other
people figure out what their calling is and who they are.
I love that. Yeah, that's what it is.
(01:00:20):
I'm. So fucking happy for.
You. Thank you.
Well earned. Thank you.
Good for you man, you got to tell us how you met that lovely
lady over there. Well, it was a dark, stormy man.
I was driving down the road. She needed a tire change.
No, it was online. Just kidding, it was online.
But it is still a kind of a coolstory.
So I was in the Yukon and I was up there shooting some stuff for
a friend, Luke Lego. Do you remember him?
(01:00:40):
He, I think he was actually in that law class you and I were in
together. Yes.
So I was up there shooting with him.
He's a chef up in the Yukon. Crazy cool gig.
He's opening a restaurant. So he flew me up there to make a
film about it. So I went up, was shooting some
stuff and then I was flying backand I was like, Oh my God, I'm
40 years old. I was 39 at the time, but about
to be 40. And I was like, I have no
prospects. I want a baby so bad.
(01:01:01):
Like I guess I got to just get back into the dating game.
I don't want. To not going to want to be with
a woman. I wanted a baby.
Oh, yeah, And everlasting love, right?
Believe me, jaded beyond belief on that one.
So I didn't think that one was coming.
But somebody who would be a goodmom.
But I was all about the baby. I wanted the kids so bad.
(01:01:21):
So I flew in, landed. I was like, all right, let's do
this. Open up the apps.
And this lovely woman had messaged me first.
For the record, that really happened.
Can't confirm. We got eyebrows, we got
eyebrows. Viking vibes.
She wrote, 'cause I had the Mohawk with the long.
What was the name on the app 'cause like what did you pick
for the name on? The app What's a good Viking?
(01:01:42):
Ragnar Reginald, she reached outfirst and I I wrote back because
it said Calgary on her location.So I was like, oh shit, I
probably matched with this babe while I was up in the Yukon.
So I wrote her back. I was like, hey, yeah, you're
super cool. That would be fun.
But like, I'm back in Nova Scotia.
She's like, I'm in Nova Scotia. It says Calgary because I'm
(01:02:04):
moving home, but I'm only here for another week if you want to
hang out. And I was like, yeah, I'm
getting back in the dating game.Just have a little fun.
That'd be nice. She's a rocket.
Why not? So we got together and our first
date lasted 4 days. So we're like, oh man.
And we would look at each other and just knew.
I hate it when fucking people would say to me when you know,
(01:02:26):
you know, I fucking, I remember my mom being like, yeah, when
you know, you know, and I'm like, mom, I'm 38 like at this
point. But you do like we looked at
each other and it was just like,we didn't say anything because
it's inappropriate at that point.
Four days in, you don't want to look like that guy I.
Don't want to be that guy. Played it cool.
We just played it cool. So her four days were up, her
(01:02:46):
mom came in to drive her back toCalgary.
So I was like, hey, let's get together and just have lunch
with your mom. Like it's not weird because this
isn't going to be a thing, so itdoesn't have to be awkward.
I'm meeting your mom so early. So we got together, we just had
a nice lunch and that was it. She drove out of my life to
Calgary and we stayed in touch and then I wasn't ready to say
(01:03:07):
goodbye. So immediately I was like, I'm
booking a flight to Calgary and then we'll say goodbye after.
That like within a week or two, yeah.
Right away I was like, I'm not letting you go yet.
Like don't go chasing somebody. I just want a few more days with
you. Don't.
Go apping it up. Yeah, just yet.
So I flew out to Calgary. I've never been to Banff before.
I've been to Calgary many times.So we went out to Banff and
lived in the mountains for a week or weekend.
(01:03:29):
It was just a long weekend and it was so beautiful and lovely
and wonderful. And then we're like, I'm just
not quite ready to say goodbye again.
And I was like, listen, OK, you had a bad experience in Nova
Scotia. She was there for with another
relationship that ended. I was like, you didn't have the
best experience in Nova Scotia, so how about I fly you to Nova
Scotia and I give you like the real Nova Scotia thing.
So we went to like my property and we stayed in the valley like
(01:03:51):
by Acadia. And is your mom going you crazy
like? My mom.
My mom. Her mom.
Oh yeah, her mom. Like fuck, I just came and
picked you up. Well, yeah, her mom and her
sister were like, be careful or we're going to lose you again.
Like please be careful. Like have your fun, but your
life is back in Calgary. Like protecting her, of course.
So we had fun in Nova Scotia Center on a plane back.
(01:04:12):
I was like, I'm not ready to saygoodbye yet.
So we I was going to Washington to see my friends for American
Thanksgiving, which is right below Calgary.
So I was like, yo, it's convenient.
I'll fly to Calgary. We do a road trip, go see my
friends live on a mountain for along weekend.
That's fun. Turkey day.
Awesome. So we went to Washington, she
met all my very close friends that are like family.
We had a great time, came back and then I was like OK, this is
(01:04:35):
going to be it. And then it was her birthday,
December 17th. So I was like this is possibly
our only birthday we'll ever have from both of our sides, so
I'm going to do the flying. So I flew into Calgary for 17
hours, morning to night. We hung out, we did our thing.
It was really lovely. And then we're like, OK, we
planned. January 3rd is the breakup.
We met in August. January 3rd is the breakup.
(01:04:57):
I was like, I really want to show you Southern Ontario.
This is my home. You showed me your home.
It'd be really special if I could show you my home.
So we hung out in Burlington andwe went to Toronto.
We did Medieval Times in NiagaraFalls.
You'd never seen it before when Southern Ontario guys were
jaded. Niagara Falls is pretty cool.
So we went down in Niagara Falls, went up to my mom's in
Laura, which was really nice. And then January 3rd came and it
(01:05:19):
was goodbye. It was so sad.
And we just were like, OK, the whole time that we were joking.
Imagine you were pregnant. Oh, your breasts are kind of
sore. Yeah, maybe you're pregnant.
You're pregnant. So she flew away.
Gone. We said goodbye.
We're doing the mature thing. We're ending this so we can both
move on 'cause I'm getting up there.
And the next day I was driving to Quebec and I get a message.
(01:05:41):
Yeah. Tell me when you're available
for a call. I'm like, OK.
Stage 4 Clinger. Gee, from the guy that flew into
Calgary. For 17 hours.
Why, Yeah. So.
She's like, yeah, let me know when you had time for FaceTime.
So I called her and she's like, I'm pregnant.
We're not breaking up. I was like, so the day I flew in
(01:06:01):
for her birthday, yeah, believe me, there was 0 hesitation.
I was like, we're doing this. So the day it was the day I flew
in for her birthday. Happy birthday.
Happy birthday, darling. And yeah, so we then we were
always joking when we went down to Washington like you, let's
just go down to Nevada and get hitched.
So as soon as she called me to say she's pregnant, I'm like,
(01:06:21):
well, I guess we're going to Nevada.
So February 20th, we went and tied the knot with Vegas with
Elvis Presley as our efficient sitting in the back of a pink
Cadillac. And yeah, we tied the knot only
having we crunched the numbers. We'd only spent 28 days together
at the time. Like we FaceTime every single
day getting to know each other, but in person, we'd only spent
(01:06:43):
28 days together and we're like,we're doing this.
And then, yeah, I flew out therelast week, finished my exams,
flew out there, met her entire family in a weekend.
They're so awesome. And then we drove here, meeting
my entire family and then we're driving to Nova Scotia to start
our life together. And her family said the same
(01:07:05):
thing where it was like, this isyour family now I'm like, you
are released, go. And everybody just knows it's
right. And when you know.
When you know, you know. I was waiting for.
Him, he's ready to ring people'snecks.
I was like, yo, I'm too old for this shit.
Like, like, I'm tired of when when you know, you know.
Chase the baby and you got your soul mate.
(01:07:26):
That was the thing though, like I did the work.
I stopped looking, I stopped pushing the string, I stopped
trying so hard and I focused more on like legacy and
generations and like love, like that unconditional stuff.
And I did work on me. Oh my God, the 30s were painful
and I'm sorry to the people who were in my wake, but it's worth
(01:07:49):
it. I made it.
And now every day we've been driving.
It's like, how is this real? Like we don't we're still, we
are getting to know each other. It's.
Like daddy's going to be a psychologist.
And that's the thing, our baby'sgoing to be born into me being a
doctor and being established in Nova Scotia and Jade and I being
a couple. But like what babies existing
right now in is like a completely different world to
(01:08:11):
transition into those things. That's magical.
So Chris, what are some tips forof being a dad to little?
Girls, please. So it's, I know it well, you're
September, right? September 14th.
OK, so that makes you probably the first person we've had on
this show who is a dad in waiting.
(01:08:32):
It's coming, it's looming, right?
So I have a few things, but I'm going to ask our esteemed Co
host here. He's going to be a dad in a few
months. Tips go.
You're never right. Just remember that you're never
right. So it's the greatest thing ever,
(01:08:55):
like, and you've done some greatthings.
This is greater promise you're going to have emotions come out
that you haven't had come out. I don't care about that.
Their journey in the 30s psychedelics, the highs and
lows. It's it's a whole other level of
paternal love and it's the best.I mean, I'm, you know, when you
(01:09:18):
told me that I'm like, bro, that's come on, like all the
other stuff is great and it's impressive and I love the
journey you're on, but that's the one where you're going to be
like, that's some legacy shit. That's some life changing shit.
So I couldn't be more excited for you.
And the fact that it's a little girl.
I mean, you know, I'm girl dad times 2.
And one of my favorite quotes onthat was from Kobe Bryant.
And I know you're a big basketball guy, but he said
(01:09:41):
every man wants a son, but everyman actually needs a daughter.
One of my favorite quotes, right, Because it's just it
again, It'll, it'll evoke thingsin you that you don't even know
are there yet. Wow, it's it's such a trip, man.
I believe it. I felt her kick for the first
time just the other day. What a trip.
That was better than any trip I've ever been on the.
(01:10:02):
Greatest thing in the world, man.
Yeah, yeah. Magical.
And my wife is so wonderful. We're going with Logan and with
the wolf. OK, that's pretty great.
Let's go. She's a wonderful lady.
That's so cool, man, that's so cool.
And so what's so you guys are headed back to Nova Scotia.
You've got your homestead all set right?
It's the house you were talking about.
(01:10:23):
Or we. Moved.
Well, we ended up, we're keepingthe homestead, but we ended up
buying a house also near the university that's turnkey
because the thing with the homestead coming on 175 years
old. These projects these a little
bit work. Yeah, it it, I don't live there.
The mice do and I'm just their guest.
So it's one of those, whereas wewanted some because also it's
two hours from where I work at the at the university.
(01:10:45):
So we did buy a home in town that's turnkey, cozy, insulated,
brand new Windows. It's mid century, so it looks my
jam, but it's all redone. We don't have to worry about
Mama can be comfortable. And then on the weekends we go
to, that's all the homestead. Only in Nova Scotia can you
afford two homes. You you thought you've lived
(01:11:08):
your life already and now you'regoing to have a baby.
It's life's changing, man. Yeah, from zero to 60, like,
like the cyber truck to the floor, this is.
Yeah. And to your point, it, it
already feel, and I'm sure it's going to be, you know,
exponentially more, but it already does feel that way.
Where I look at my life, I'm like, I've done some fucking
cool shit. But when Jada told me she was
(01:11:28):
pregnant, that was that was it. That was it.
Yeah, and it feels like that mission and a beautiful thing
someone said to me and like wrestling with that celebrity
thing to kind of bring it full circle.
I remember somebody saying, like, somebody wants to be
celebrity so bad, be celebrity to your family.
And the way this woman looks at me and the idea of my daughter
(01:11:50):
looking at me that way, Trump's any influencer, any fame, any.
And that's where I look from trend, like what's the word
moving from filmmaking into psychiatry.
There's no fame in psychiatry and helping people and
discovering human behavior like that.
(01:12:10):
I I feel that love and support for the first time of having
this base that I get to show offeveryday to those two women
while I help other people. That's true fame and true
celebrity. It's the only people that matter
man, the only people. Social media goes away.
Everybody else loses everything they thought they had.
(01:12:32):
All you have is your family. Yeah, yeah.
And it's you'll, you'll get these moments with your
daughters. Like I said, plural maybe.
That's foreshadowing. But with my SO, and what's
unique too, is your relationshipwith each of your kids is going
to be a little bit different. My youngest is just an absolute
sweetheart. She's the most emotionally
intelligent. She walks up to me and I see
(01:12:55):
like she can see right through me.
Like if I'll come home and I hadstress or I came home and I was
whatever. She'll always look up and she'll
she'll call me on it. She'll like daddy, you look sad,
Daddy, you look mad and she'll always say that.
So we're sitting here on a Saturday.
I love my weekends with my family.
That's my time. But I explained to her, daddy
had a friend and he was on a bitof a tight schedule.
So I'm going to come in and do apodcast on Saturday.
(01:13:17):
And she walks up to me this morning.
She goes, I'm going to miss you.I made you a bracelet and wear
it on the podcast just so I could be with you just on a
Saturday morning, you know? Well, thank you.
What's your daughter's name? Ella.
Thank you, Ella, for sharing your dad with me today.
And that's a lot. It's the best man.
I'm so happy for you. Thank you.
(01:13:38):
Yeah. And then Fast forward to future
self who's going to watch this episode at some point.
And I will be remiss if I don't say you have to tell me.
Tell us your UFO story. Switch gears completely.
I don't want to miss it. Tell me your UFO.
Oh please. Yeah.
So I live in about 20 minutes from Shag Harbor, which is
(01:13:59):
Canada's Roswell. So only like legally documented
UFO landing in Canadian history and they still have UFOI went to
one last year conventions there and everybody kind of descends
upon Yarmouth, NS, which is justoutside of Shag Harbor.
So a friend of mine came to visit from Toronto and rented an
Airbnb on the Bay just over fromline.
(01:14:20):
I actually don't know the name of it.
I'm still learning the area. But anyways, we're sitting out
in the back and we're just in there chatting and she was
looking the other way and I was looking out over the Bay and it
was it was actually over the grass leading up to the water.
All of a sudden the sky lit up, the brightest light I've ever
seen but this the ground didn't light up.
(01:14:40):
And I was like what in the fuck?Like this doesn't make sense
physics wise what the hell is this?
And all of a sudden these balls appeared and it was like 1 big
ball with two tails of balls coming off of it and they're
white but the glow around it wasred.
And I was like what in the fuck was that?
And there was no sound. It was just this light that
(01:15:01):
didn't touch anything else. And then all of a sudden it kind
of pulsed for a second and then it just turned into smoke in the
shape of the and I was like, didyou see that?
And she saw the she's like, I saw smoke.
I was like, describe the shape of the smoke.
And it was in the same shape of the UFOI have it tattooed on my
leg. Obviously my whole story, I'm
(01:15:23):
not to be able to hear me. My pants are too tight.
I'm a Millennium. I still wear the tight pants.
Everyone's like, yo, when are you going to go?
Bag even working those calves. There you go.
That's cool, yeah. The circle with the circles
coming off of it, so. Crazy.
I don't know what it was. Everyone's like, oh, it's a
flare. Maybe.
I don't know. I have no.
And maybe it was a flare. I don't know.
(01:15:43):
But it was. And that was the thing was, I
remember when I was with my friends kind of getting treated
for PTSDI, remember being like, I'm afraid of aliens, I'm afraid
of AI, I'm afraid of this. So like, yeah, but you've never
seen an alien. And I was like, I have seen an
alien. And they're like, OK, So what
was that? Like I was like, fucking
awesome. And they're like, use that, you
know, for your development of like, things are scary leading
(01:16:05):
up to they're not necessarily scary in the moment.
And I have been like, keen on that with like, AI and what's
coming and God knows what if we're going to choose to die.
And I'm kind of just trying to be like, in the moment, it won't
be scary. My UFO wasn't scary.
It was fucking wicked, Yeah. Yeah, fuck.
Alien wants to come meet me, man, Take me with you.
(01:16:25):
I'm OK. I want to learn new shit.
I want, I want to fucking experience that.
I want an iPhone 18. I don't want to go too far.
A little conservative. Just people like give me.
The yeah, I think too, that likewe're at a time now where
technology is going to shine a light on shit like that.
Like, we already see it now, like they're having hearings at
Congress where there's highly decorated military personnel
(01:16:48):
laying out fact and it almost can't be disputed.
So that's gonna be dope. We're gonna see.
We're gonna find out what it is in this lifetime.
No doubt. Well, they just found biomarkers
on one planet, I don't know the name of it, XTGZZ something, but
they found biomarkers. So they found off gases of
biologic life. So we might see soon it's.
(01:17:09):
Ignorant to think that like we're the only planet with any
life and that we're the smartestones out there.
When you see all these fucking thousands of planets out there.
Like there's zero fucking chancewe're the smartest planet out
there and the smartest race out there.
Like there's no fucking possibility that.
No doubt. And I think it's all the above.
I do think there are saucers, but I also think there's this
interdimensional stuff. We're what I was going to say.
(01:17:31):
They're talking about senses. Yeah, aliens all around us right
now, like touching, feeling, butthey just have different layout
than us and we're gonna. Figure out how to transport
people. Like it's gonna fucking happen.
Like, yeah, give it 20 years. Like we're gonna have that shit
figured out or we're gonna be able to just send people places.
Exactly. And it's all around us.
It's all. And yeah, they're probably argue
with those and maybe they're just fucking with us.
(01:17:51):
Or maybe it's American governments, toys, We don't
know. But it's all out there, Yeah.
It's just a matter of what we can see within our vision.
And if you start getting freakedout, get off the Internet.
And because real life, this isn't scary at all.
And that was one thing that I really learned through my
journey is like, once you start to kind of bring the locus of
control in, it's not as scary anymore.
(01:18:14):
You know, it's going to be great.
Is your daughter's going to helpyou with that too?
Like I have so many times where I'll go with my girls and it's
just playing at the park and it's grassy knees and it's like,
you know, push me on the swing And it's like it's just such a,
it brings you right back to the moment more than anybody else
can because it's just, it's likewhen they're kids, it's pretty
simple at that age, right? Like, you know, it's, it's a
(01:18:35):
pretty basic, pretty fun, prettycarefree and it it it'll, it'll
help you with that. That's.
It's a great thing. Hanging out with my kids is my.
Therapy for sure. I've got three boys like 511 and
14 and like when you get home and the door closes, everything
else out there doesn't fucking matter anymore.
Like you just you forget about it all.
Work, life, politics, all the bullshit.
(01:18:57):
Leave the news off the TV like all that matters is the people
in your home. And fuck man, it's the it's the
best feeling in the entire world.
How are three boys? That's intense.
Yeah, I fucking prayed that the third one was gonna be a boy.
And my wife and her, her parents, they were hoping it was
gonna be a girl. But I was like, now that we have
two boys, a third one would justbe like, so easy.
(01:19:19):
Should I have probably had a girl?
Probably like God probably should have got even with me a
little bit. But I got super lucky having
three boys and it's the greatestthing in the world for sure.
Well you 2 have perfect perspective between the two of
you, that's really cool. Yeah, man, yeah.
And I always, because I always got asked that too, when it was
like our second. They're like, you wanted to be a
boy. I'm like, you know, like I, it's
going to sound cliche, but like I want it to be healthy.
(01:19:42):
That would be a blessing, right?And the rest is just like we'll
fill it in. Well, that's the other thing,
getting older, that is real perspective that you always hear
in the media. It's like, well, at least I have
my health, at least I have my health.
And when you're young, it's like, shrug.
But when you start to get a little older, hitting that
midlife crisis, wow, that sayinghas a whole new meaning because
at any moment it can go sideways.
(01:20:03):
And that's been a big thing for me.
It's like facing mortality, the classic midlife thing.
Not looking the same in the mirror anymore.
And it's like, oh, this is agingis real because you can see it
intellectually all you want, butuntil you emotionally start to
engage with it, it doesn't exist.
And take advantage of those times, man, because like, you
know, those feelings, those, those times when you're like,
(01:20:23):
you go home tired and like, you know, once you're done school
and you're, you're a doctor, like you're going to have those
days you come home just like mentally drained and shit.
But, you know, you read your kida book and you're laying in bed
and the kiddo was like, hey, like, one more, one more book,
daddy, one more book. And you're like, fuck, like, I
just want to go. I want to go have my time and
lay down in bed. But then you think about it for
a second and you're like, fuck, yeah.
(01:20:45):
Like I will read you one more book.
Like, put the time in. Take advantage of those moments.
Because like, you're right, man.You never know.
You never know when it's over, right?
Thank you. I appreciate that.
I think they like to bring the two ideas together.
I I think kids have a connectionto whatever that other thing is,
that other dimension. There's a really cool story that
(01:21:05):
happened when I was going to theMcbain's house and their
daughter, they were going to buyme a Christmas gift because I
always borrow Robin, my boss's calculator for my math class.
And they were just getting tiredof it.
So they're like, let's go get Uncle Reggie a calculator.
And it's like, OK, that's literally lovely.
So she took her daughter, who's six years old, and they were
(01:21:27):
walking through, they got the calculator.
They're walking through the department store.
And she's like, wait, I have to get Uncle Reggie these socks.
And Robin was like, they don't these socks don't make any
sense. And she's like, trust me, Uncle
Reggie will think they're hilarious.
She's like, OK, so she bought the socks, bought the
calculator. So then Robin had me over and I
(01:21:48):
was about to tell James, her husband and Robin that pregnant
and she's like, OK wait wait, wejust want to make sure we get
you your Christmas gift. So I open it.
Calculator. Oh my God, it's so cute.
I'm going to use it. Great.
A+. And then I open the other thing.
She's like, Ray insisted to get you these number.
I'm getting goosebumps #1 dad sucks, this happened, this is
(01:22:10):
real. And then I told them Jade is
pregnant. What?
Cool what so cool. They're tapped into something
that I'm sure we are at one point, and then we grow up
layers upon schema and, you know, folk views of the world,
perspective lenses, and they're tapped into something magical.
So to your point, I'm so excitedto have a little conduit in my
(01:22:35):
house who's connected into something that, you know, I've
let go and we all let go. But it's like, I think that's
really beautiful. And that moment with Ray was
like. So cool, right?
Powerful show. Who would have thought Fast
forward and like, socks and a calculator is like the gift
you're like, yeah, I got it. Well, that too, Yeah, change
(01:22:56):
exactly that, too, as I was actually saying that to my mom
right before we came here. She was divvying out socks she
bought at Costco, giving my wifesome, and she's like, everybody
this Christmas is getting socks.I'm like, wow, you hit an age
where you're like, sweet, yeah, don't run out of socks.
Yeah. Fresh ones feel better.
Yeah, 100%. Yeah.
So that's so. Have you thought about the kind
of dad you want to be? Great question.
(01:23:19):
The thing I'm worried about is taking all these psychology
classes and becoming a psychologist and over analyzing
over trying to hit those markersbecause I'm taking developmental
psychology. Like how could one not bleed the
two together? And I don't want to be a robot.
I want the little one to be ableto have a regular existence.
Like my parents weren't psychologist, they just did the
best they could. Other things that I wish they
(01:23:41):
did differently. Of course there are.
But I keep also trying to tell myself that no matter even if I
did hit every marker from the textbook, like there's still
going to be something that she'sgoing to come back to me one day
and be like, why don't you do more of this?
And it's like, I did the best I could.
So I want to do the best I can. I want to make sure I'm present.
I love work. Like I said, I'm addicted to
knowledge and learning right now, but I need to make sure
(01:24:03):
that I'm making a divide betweenthe two to your point of like
the scale needs to lean this wayI can always just go back and
pick up classes and do things a little slower.
So I want to make sure I'm present.
I want to make sure I'm there. I want to make sure I don't
bleed too far into the clinical side of things and just keep it
more right brain, like more art and like, love and fluid.
(01:24:26):
But also like, I'm picking up some of the developmental games
and stuff to be like, OK, we're at this stage now we can see if
she has theory of mind and like seeing.
Yeah. Without being the helicopter
dad. Yeah, I don't want to be that at
all. And that was an interesting
thing. They often have guest
psychologist come into the university and one of them came
in and was like talking about, Iforget her initial thesis, but
(01:24:48):
she got into resiliency and being like, OK, so a bit we just
discovered this thing that with resiliency, if you're able to in
a safe place, allow your kids togo to the park alone.
And I was like, Yo, I was born 1984.
Like I my parents would literally open the door and be
like go. Yeah, when the street lights
(01:25:08):
come on, come home. Classic and true.
It's cliche for a reason. That was how it was.
And I actually asked her. I was like, you know, I'm from
the 80s, like, does that not mean that I'm more resilient?
And then the big question was like, are we getting more fear
because of less resiliency or wegetting less resiliency because
of fear? Like where is this going that
(01:25:29):
this like, is it social media with exposure thing?
Like, it was just a really fascinating conversation because
resiliency, antifragility, thesethings are starting to come back
into the zeitgeist. And I'm like latchkey kids to go
even a generation before us. Like theoretically, shouldn't
they have more resilience than all of us?
Like, so I just think like a study of all of these
(01:25:52):
generations could really yield some interesting results of
resiliency and what this means to us.
Because that does scare me, thisidea of helicopter parenting,
but then also being like, well, I walk to school alone every day
starting in like Grade 1. Maybe my kids should, but I know
that's not socially acceptable anymore.
And I don't want Child Protective Services nor do I
(01:26:13):
want my child hurt. So it's finding that balance
which isn't. So how have y'all?
We're of the same ilk in terms of age, so how have y'all dealt
with that specifically? So I grew up the same as you.
It was, it was go learn and grow.
I try not to listen to the narrative of, of control and
like right now, like everything in the media is like trying to
(01:26:34):
control you and trying to tell you how to do stuff and trying
to fear monger you. So I try and let my kids still
grow on their own and, and teachthemselves and give them a
little bit more reach than probably most parents.
But yeah, there is still that. You can't just let them go, you
know what I mean? So you know, my oldest is 14.
Fuck, when I was 14 I'd come home at midnight and like my dad
(01:26:57):
really didn't give a shit and hewasn't even around when I was
like 14. We're now like my 14 year old.
I won't let him go out till midnight and just walk the
streets or whatever. Like still got to be home by
9930. And you know the his mom, she
checks in with him a lot more than I do.
I'm OK to give him the reins. Like hey, like I know you're in
the neighborhood and you're justout with your buddies.
Like go do your thing. But she'll check in with them
(01:27:18):
quite a bit more. So we're not, we're not the
helicopter parents for sure, butwe've got friends that are at
that level where they're helicopter parents for sure.
And they're afraid of everythingbecause they're told to be
afraid of everything. It's like, well, how are you
letting your, your kid develop and like be his own person and
like learn how to deal with situations then if you're over
controlling them and if you're monitoring them, right?
(01:27:40):
That's a tough one. I think changes at, at different
ages, yeah. The being girl thing is, you
know, that that weighs heavy on me just 'cause you know, I, I'm,
I want to protect them. I, I'm, you know, I don't wear,
you know, glasses that would tell me that those people aren't
out there. I know that things happen.
So you do go at it a little bit differently.
(01:28:00):
As their age has progressed, though, things have started to,
you know, I think that's natural.
You start to give them more freedoms and give them more,
more leash, I guess to go out and be a real person, a real
individual. Probably the one tip I would say
is we've kind of adopted the technology, like, you know,
every single parent on our street and we're so blessed to
(01:28:21):
live on. Like, you know, I'm, I'm sure
there's lots of great communities out there.
Mine's one of them for sure. Like we all look out for our
kids and we, we've got great friends and they've got their
little friend groups. So we just check in, man.
We just like, everybody's got a phone in their pocket, right?
My kids don't, I didn't give them devices and probably hold
on to that as long as I can. But you know, if the parent
they're headed to is over here and we're over here, we just
(01:28:44):
text, we'll say, hey, they're headed your way.
And then we'll get a text back 15 minutes later saying they're
here safe. And that's it.
And that's, that's as like checked in as, as we are.
And then we got my oldest, Lucy,who's turning 10 in September.
She has a bracelet that has one of those air tags in it.
If we're going somewhere where we know it's going to be crazy
(01:29:06):
busy and there's going to be thousands of people, we just
asked her to put her bracelet onjust so we can check in and, and
try not to be helicopter parents, like trying not to, you
know, watch where she's going. But it's a little extra safety
layer that makes us feel better about it.
I think the biggest thing is like teaching them to have
respect for people, teaching them to respect themselves, have
(01:29:26):
some boundaries and just to havesome common sense because like
so many kids these days are brought up with like next to no
common sense because they're just not allowed to learn and
grow, right? So I think that's big, like let
teaching your kid to have an open mind and and give them a
little bit of space, but teach them about respect for
themselves and for other people and they'll avoid situations
(01:29:49):
that should be shitty situations.
Now, for sure there are some super shitty people out there
that do some really bad things, but overall the world isn't that
way. And we're programming our kids
to think that the world is that way, which is the sad part.
I couldn't agree more with that.And that's what I was saying
earlier that like once you startto distill the world down is not
that bad. It's all this stuff that the
(01:30:10):
media tells us that's up out there, that's exists cuz it's in
the zeitgeist for a reason. But it's not as pressing as they
say. And I love, I love the, the
because I thought you were goingto say they have a device in
terms of leaning into technology.
But I love the, the parental communication.
But that leads me to the thing that I'm actually more afraid of
(01:30:31):
that I feel like the child stuffwill be more intuitive.
And I love the idea of finding that workflow that works.
But what actually scares me the most is that I'm very heterodox
and like iconoclastic. I'm actually more worried about
dealing with other parents because I am a bit of a weirdo
and I am like, you know, I have the the way we will want to do
things. But I understand that there is a
(01:30:52):
community. So especially with you, Jamie,
like you said, you know, there are some parents that want to do
it this way and you'll be you'llsay, but then your kids aren't
learning. So are you really having these
conversations with people and like, how do you navigate?
Like do you have people coming down on you being like, you
shouldn't be doing that? And like, how do you navigate
that? No, I'm sure that some of that
(01:31:12):
is said behind my back. None of our friends would say it
to me for sure. But like we we're lucky.
Like we our kids are really goodkids.
So if our kids were the shit heads in the neighborhood that
were running around knocking on people's doors at 11:00 at
night, which like there are likemy my kids have friends that are
doing that kind of stupid shit sometimes, then then I'm sure
I'd get some of the Flack. But like my kids aren't doing
(01:31:35):
that kind of stupid shit. Like they're taught respect and,
and you know when when you know,we've got buddies that come over
to our house like it's, it's hey, Uncle Matt, like my kids
are brought up to like talk to people properly and thank people
and approach people properly. So I don't think anybody would
have the balls to say something to my face about it because I
don't really hold back. I'm pretty, I'm a pretty open
book, but I also wouldn't go to those parents if their kids are
(01:31:58):
out there doing stupid shit and they're raising their kids their
way. Like I'm not going to go to them
and tell them I think they're doing something a shitty way.
I just try and get my kids to see the world from a different
place, right? And that last part was what I
was going to say is you'll find your people and your kids will
help you find your people. Because what happens is like
the, you know, the Karens who are the 1st at the PTA meeting
(01:32:20):
to complain about everything. Those kiddos probably aren't
going to drive with my kiddos because they live in different
worlds, right? So what ends up happening is as
you go through the school systemand and Sports and Social and
all that kind of shit, your people tend to come out of the
woodwork and you'll find that like you'll, you'll find friends
you don't even know in four years from now will become some
(01:32:42):
of your best friends. And it'll happen through your
kids, because that becomes the the common thread.
And you know, I know the kind ofguy you are.
Like it's one of those things where you know, you're going to
want what's best for your kids and somebody else is going to
want what's best for their kids.And you're going to look at that
guy across the table and go, Oh,you're good people.
And all of a sudden you now you're like in this, you know,
(01:33:03):
community where you have a goal.It's to raise great kids, right?
And and there is no right answerlike you got to do you, as long
as you and the misses are happy and you guys agree on how you
guys are going to parent the kids, that's really all that
matters because there is no right answer.
There are some wrong answers forsure, but there is no right
answer. Lots of people's kids are going
to grow up to be great people. And they were all brought up in
(01:33:25):
different ways for sure. So you just have to do what's
authentic to you and the misses.And as long as you guys agree on
that, that's that's the biggest thing.
And I really appreciate that. Stay tight, Yeah, you and yours
can take on the world we just got.
To communicate. I love that I was a little
worried just wanting to have babies so bad and dating younger
(01:33:46):
was freaking me out this generational gaps and I found an
old soul. So all those things were kind of
put to bed and and we do feel that like bond and similar idea
of the world, which I think is so advantageous.
And I was worried that that wasn't going to yeah,
materialized for me. And it feels really good to
(01:34:07):
think I was able to find my person and I love the idea of
our family being able to find satellite families.
I hadn't thought of that. That's a great that'll.
Happen man, that's a beautiful thing.
Well, wish you the best on all that man.
And obviously you guys have friends here anytime you're in
town. Thank you.
I'll take you up on that. Can't.
Wait timing worked out? Awesome man swinging through.
Seriously, soon as I saw what y'all were doing I was like, oh
(01:34:29):
I want to be a part of that. I'm in Nova Scotia and I saw
what was happening. I was like, if he has just the
because we're gone. We got here last night.
We're gone Monday morning. So this thank you for making
time. Thank you for making.
I really wanted to be a part. I love what you're doing.
I think it's super cool. I was and it's being I'm AI got
burly life tattooed across my stomach.
I'm a Burlington guy. So when I saw that you're like
(01:34:49):
repping Burlington and doing in and out the dad thing that I'm
getting into, I was like, I wantto be a part of that.
Oh, you are. So thank you for your apartment.
I have two more things I want toask you.
The first of which is we have a segment on this show where we
ask all of our guests to bring adad joke.
This is a very special one for us because we have a new sponsor
that I would like to plug, whicha keen eye would show that we've
(01:35:10):
had their product on set this entire time.
We are so grateful to Wolf Blasts and the team there.
We're new, we're just starting out, we don't know who we are.
All this takes money and it takes support and they stepped
up. So I want to talk about the two
products that are in front of you.
We've got a bottle of their cab salve.
We've got a bottle of their Sauvignon Blanc over here.
(01:35:32):
Please try them. Please support the people that
support you. And without a further ado, dad
joke. OK, I have two.
I wrote the first one. The second one I wish I wrote.
So the first one that I wrote iswhat do you call an elderly
person who lives by the pyramids?
Old geezas. That's good you wrote that.
(01:35:53):
One I was running one day and itjust hit me like a ton of
bricks. I was like genius, and I never
thought I'd have such a great audience to give it to you.
Now it's out of the world. The other one is my favorite
piece of word play, and I love word play.
So how do you titillate an ocelot?
You oscillate its tits a lot. I wish to God I'd written that
(01:36:14):
one, but I heard it through the Grapevine.
That's one of the best ones for sure.
A. 100% they're actually both pretty nicely done and shout out
to our sponsors. You got a couple of good ones. 2
for one deal. This hockey season, pick up
something to celebrate the puck drop.
Grab Wolf Glass Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon now only 1795
(01:36:34):
at the LCBO. Why settle when you can soar?
Wolf Blast. Yellow Label?
Also to always want to open up the time for you to talk about
anything you got on the go that maybe you didn't mention.
Anything you want to plug Any shout outs to anybody?
Awesome, the mic is all yours. Where can people find you?
Yeah. OK well people can find me
online. I've become similar to what you
(01:36:56):
were saying how social media kind of starts to drift.
Since meeting my wife it's been in school.
School is taking up all my time that isn't relationship based
and like I'm finding it difficult to do social media
anymore. And that's been fascinating just
from a psychological point of view where I used to get so
much, you know, gusto from creating and do it like the
(01:37:18):
connections I made on there, which are so I hold very dear
that I miss. But social media is starting to
drift away a little bit for me. I'm still at Reggie from the
road on I think everything definitely Instagram.
I'm just trying to post more, but it's getting hard.
It's getting hard in like real life is starting to bleed in.
Check out Acadia University. I do a lot of their content and
(01:37:41):
guide a lot of the students in terms of what they're making.
And then yeah, you can just findme.
Just in real life is the best at905-599-7216.
Shoot me a text. That's what I said when I got
off social media ish. You're here for people.
Yeah, I said that to everyone. I'm like, just because I'm
getting off social media, like I, I do not have my
notifications on for any social media.
(01:38:01):
I check it when I want and I don't check my messages.
And I made sure to say that to all my people, but I gave my
phone number. Like, if you want to be human
friends, we could totally be human friends.
Some people took me up on it, which was really cool.
I I the bonds that I made with those people are so precious and
so dear. And that's the hard part about
stepping away from social media.That's really hurting.
(01:38:24):
But real life is just getting sointoxicating that it's like the
scales tip and evolution. And I hope to go back to it.
Maybe there's a day where I can kind of marry psychology once I
have the more letters to my nameand marry that to to Instagram
and social media. But for now, I am definitely
focusing on that big up to Burlington.
(01:38:47):
Like this is where I was born and raised.
And it was like painfully boringin the best way.
Like, what a place to grow up. I love this city.
Big up to all my friends. Like I'm still like a lot of
those Nelson guys. Like I'm still hanging out with
and we still talk to. So it's like the bonds of being
raised in such like an awesome suburb of just where you have
(01:39:09):
everything and just abundance and contentment was really
special. So yeah, I got burly life
instead of thug life across my stomach.
I'm a Burlington guy till the end and big up to you guys.
Thank you for doing this and giving a platform for like
really positive masculinity and just a cool place to be.
(01:39:30):
I saw you from afar and was like, I won't be there.
Thanks so much for coming on, man.
It's, it's been awesome to meet you.
Yeah, it's been great. So happy to have you man.
Congrats on all the all the success man.
Let's not make it another 25. Years, yeah, right.
We're we're coming out east anyways.
We're coming out east. Yeah, yeah, we're coming out
soon. I'll tell you why.
We'll tell you if you actually. Are.
Yeah, we are. We'll tell you off air.
(01:39:50):
To come. Thanks man.
Pleasure. Appreciate you coming.
Thank you.