September 1, 2025 • 24 mins
In this powerful episode, Ontario veterinarian Dr. Cliff Redford shows us what it truly means to live with passion and a sense of adventure. He's called the Worldwide Vet. Dr. Redford travels the world combining his veterinary practice with global volunteer work. Over the years, he has helped animals and communities in Jamaica, India, Panama, India and Ukraine.
Dr. Cliff's journey proves that change is something to embrace no matter what your age. Whether he's performing surgeries in a war zone, learning to surf, or starting boxing at age 48, Dr. Redford lives life to the fullest. He reminds us it’s never too late to reinvent yourself, take risks.
In This Episode You'll Learn
-Why embracing change fuels growth and resilience
-How travel and service can deepen passion for your profession
-The art of becoming “comfortable with being uncomfortable”
-Why adventure—no matter your age—is the key to life
-The importance of kindness in all forms
Key Takeaways
- Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. By leaving your comfort zone, you expand your skills and passion for life.
- Take a risk to discover a full life – Trying something new later in life, adventure keeps you energized and connected.
Dr. Cliff Redford’s Motto
"Be kind to animals, be kind to each other, and be kind to yourself."
Visit the Dr. Cliff's site: drcliff.ca
Dr. Cliff on Instagram
instagram.com/drcliffworldwidevet
Dr. Cliff on Facebook
facebook.com/drcliffworldwidevet
Twitter - X
x.com/vet905
Hi Friend - Thanks for listening!
Check out my TEDx talk. Why you should take action - then figure it out.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Judy Oskam (00:02):
Hey, welcome back to Stories of Change and
Creativity.
I'm Judy Oskam, a professor atTexas State University.
I'm fascinated, and I alwayshave been, by passionate people
who are curious and have agrowth mindset, and that's
certainly the case for my guesttoday.
Dr Cliff Redford is aveterinarian from Ontario,
(00:24):
canada.
He brings adventure, healingand heart to the world.
He in war zones.
(00:45):
His mission is to make a realimpact, and we all want to make
a real impact, so I asked DrCliff to share a couple of ways
we can all add more adventureinto our lives.
His answers might just inspireyou to make a change, no matter
what your age.
(01:05):
He lives by the simple butpowerful motto be kind to
animals, be kind to each otherand be kind to yourself.
I hope you enjoy thisconversation as much as I did.
Dr. Cliff Redford (01:19):
I think I was born to do it.
I didn't actually decide to bea veterinarian until final year
high school.
I really wanted to be a policeofficer or a science teacher or
a paramedic or a marinebiologist or a veterinarian, so
kind of all like serviceoriented, science oriented.
But you know my like, myteachers and church leaders and
(01:45):
all these people that knew mewhen I was 10 years old, eight
years old, all said even thenthey knew I was going to be a
vet, so I think it was in myblood for sure.
And then, as far as thetraveling which is now my, my
future kind of passion, I mean Ilove it now but it's what I'm
going to do when I eventuallyretire is continue to volunteer
and travel.
(02:05):
That started nine years agoalmost to the day, maybe to the
day, I think, nine years ago now.
I was in Jamaica, about toreturn and I had done a
three-week volunteer trip.
Now it was volunteering thefull 21 days straight, but I was
also filming it to kind ofpitch this TV show idea which I
(02:26):
haven't given up on.
But now the volunteer travelbug bit me and, like I said, I'm
going to be doing this.
I'm going to be doing this foras long as I'm helpful.
Judy Oskam (02:37):
Well, and I know I have a lot of students and I
have a lot of friends who justlove travel, so combining their
career with travel is somethingthat you found a way to do that.
Dr. Cliff Redford (02:48):
Yeah, it's been wonderful and it's made you
know it's air quotes forced meto go to places that I may not
have gone to because I don't goto vacation spots.
You know, when I went to Indiatwice with my daughter, it was
in the mid-south city ofHyderabad.
There's no vacation spot there.
(03:10):
So we went there to work and itwas fantastic.
So places like that I mean Iwent up to twice in January, the
last two Januaries, up to theArctic Circle, up to Iqaluit,
canada, where there's like acouple hours of sunlight and
it's minus 40 degrees.
I would not have gone exceptthey needed me and I'm so glad I
(03:31):
went, I'm so glad I went inJanuary.
So it has opened the world, youknow, sort of opened up my eyes
to the world and it's made me amuch better veterinarian and a
better person and a betterfather, etc.
Etc.
But professionally speaking,the things I've learned there
and have forced myself to learnwhile I'm back here getting
(03:52):
ready for the next trip has hasreally elevated my, my skills.
Judy Oskam (03:57):
Well, and let me ask you did you always have a
growth mindset?
Were you always open tolearning and growing?
Were you always curious mindset?
Dr. Cliff Redford (04:05):
Were you always open to learning and
growing?
Were you always curious?
Yeah, definitely I was.
You know, I was that kid thatwas trying, you know, every
single different martial art andjoining every single different
sport, and it wasn't that I wasgetting bored with it.
I enjoyed whatever sport I wasdoing.
I just okay, and I've learned alittle bit of this.
I want to try and learn alittle bit of that and see which
one I like doing.
I just okay, and I've learned alittle bit of this.
I want to try and learn alittle bit of that and see which
(04:27):
one I like better.
Of course, as a Canadian kid, Iplayed a lot of hockey, which I
still do and I absolutely love.
But when it comes to academics,social things, sports, you know
, hobbies I'm I may be doing alittle bit too much.
I've tried to learn multipledifferent languages and right
(04:49):
now I'm trying to learn Greekbecause my wife is Greek and her
family's Greek, and we're goingto live in Greece one day.
But it's always, you know,let's try to do something new,
new, new.
I mean even podcasting.
My podcast now is on, maybe the80th episode, so it's been
about two years, which is great,but it's my third kick at the
camp.
(05:09):
I've done multiple podcasts andthis is now finally.
It's stuck, you know.
So I think that's important.
I think it's important that wetry new things, expand our
skills, not only improve thethings we're good at, but see if
we're good at something else aswell.
Judy Oskam (05:31):
And it keeps life colorful and interesting.
Well, speaking of keeping itcolorful and interesting, what
is it about the countries andthe challenges that draw you to
a particular internationallocation?
Is it the type of animal?
Is it the severity of theinjuries?
What is it?
Dr. Cliff Redford (05:46):
Yeah, it's a little bit about everything.
I mean Jamaica.
I was supposed to again withthis first trip.
It was kind of a let's filmsome footage to try and pitch a
TV show, and I was originallygoing to go to Beijing.
I was learning Mandarin at thetime.
I have a lot ofChinese-speaking
Mandarin-speaking clients, andwhat greater way to practice my
(06:07):
Mandarin?
That fell through.
There was some concerns about aWesterner coming down with a
camera and filming animalwelfare.
So I get it.
It might have been a bit of apolitical hotbed.
So I stumbled upon Jamaica.
It was like my, my fallbackoption what a great, what a
great.
Second option, right?
(06:27):
Um, but after that, rescuestarted reaching out to me like
in droves and so I startedlooking for.
I kind of have a few things.
There has to be a need, meaningif a rescue comes to me and I
think I've only got a day ortwo's worth of work in spaying
and neutering and taking care oftheir animals, that's not big
(06:50):
enough.
Now maybe I find multiplerescues to work with, but I want
to be there for about 10 days.
I want to work every single day.
There has to be aninfrastructure, so either a
local veterinarian I can workwith a rescue group, some
technicians.
Am I doing surgery in themiddle of the jungle or in the
desert, like I did in Panama andEgypt respectively?
(07:10):
Or is it actually in a clinic,like I did when I went to the
war zone in Ukraine?
Then the last place is I wantto go there.
I'm not going to do the WestIndies again for a while,
because I did Jamaica.
It's beautiful, but I want totry some different things.
I'm really talking to thiswoman on Instagram.
(07:31):
She's called Vet Becca, she's aone-year graduate and she's in
Nigeria.
I was thinking of going toNigeria.
I've never been to that part ofAfrica.
So those are the kind of thethings I look for and I look for
.
So the need, the infrastructureand just a really cool place
that I've never experienced, theculture or anything like it.
(07:52):
That's that's my goal.
Judy Oskam (07:52):
So that drives you.
And then it sounds like,because of all those factors, it
helps you make an impact.
Right?
If you didn't have theinfrastructure there, you
couldn't really have anytraction, right?
Isn't that the main reasonyou're doing this?
Dr. Cliff Redford (08:05):
Oh, 100%, yeah, and even now like,
although I'll film it forInstagram just on my iPhone, I
don't travel with a film crew.
When I went to Jamaica, we hadfive people on a film crew.
They were all students, likerecent graduates, from a local
college film college.
I paid them in pizza, beer anda trip to Jamaica, so they were
(08:26):
happy.
It was a good thing.
They got to practice theirskills, it was a good deal, it
was a fun time, and then it justwent down to, you know, three
people and then two people andthen eventually I think it
started in Panama.
When my daughter and I went toPanama just as the pandemic was
ending.
It was just her and I and wejust filmed everything on our
iPhone.
So it is becoming the volunteeraspect.
(08:48):
And, yeah, I absolutely have tobe causing a positive impact
Massive spay-neuter clinics thatwe arrange and work with other
organizations In India, workingwith an animal rescue group that
had the facilities but didn'thave a veterinarian, and again
(09:09):
in Kharkiv, ukraine, a couple ofyears ago during the war,
working with a rescue group thatwas working directly with the
military when the military wasgoing through an area that had
been bombed, and they findinjured animals.
We then go and pick them up andwe do surgery in this clinic
that had been bombed.
And they find injured animals.
We then go and pick them up andwe do surgery in this clinic
that had been abandoned.
(09:29):
The veterinarian had left.
So I was able and I was theonly sort of real veterinarian
that they had a veterinarian bydoctor, by the name of Dr
Natasha.
She's amazing, but she had justgraduated, she, she didn't know
.
You know, she could barely spaya dog, let alone do advanced
surgery.
So I got to mentor her and shegot to teach me the ways of
(09:50):
Ukraine and sort of the culturalaspects, which is always
important to me.
So I come from these trips, Icome back exhausted and
energized at the same time.
Yeah, and tell me what theimpact is when you do get back
(10:18):
on your patients, on yourfriends, your family.
I mean, what are the takeawaysfor you there?
Because I'm forced to do thingssurgeries that maybe I'm not
super comfortable in, but Ilearned that, hey, my training
is really solid and I'm able tofigure this out, and I'm also
(10:41):
doing it with a lot less toolsor archaic anesthetics, things
of that nature.
So when I come back to mymodern clinic, my modern
hospital, it's easy.
Back to my modern clinic, mymodern hospital, it's easy.
Um, and then I mean, personally,I am very.
It calms me.
You know, like over the yearsand I keep talking about Ukraine
, ukraine, cause it was the mostsort of emotionally difficult,
uh, thing to deal with Um, myteam, my family, my friends all
(11:03):
say, no, you're, you're calmer,you're, you know, you just, you
just nothing.
It's like water off a duck'sback.
You know, when, these littlethings that it doesn't bother me
if someone gets my order wrongat the local coffee shop, right,
who cares?
So it it.
It sort of paints a big pictureon what's important in life.
(11:23):
But I'm really happy to comeback.
It's like I'm really sad toleave.
I'm really happy to come back.
I miss my life, I miss myfamily, and then I'm already
going.
Okay, when's next, though?
When's next?
Because I know I'm going to getthis itch and I just got to do
it.
Judy Oskam (11:41):
Well and is part of that itch taking the challenge
and then the result is reallybuilding more trust in your
abilities and who you are.
Dr. Cliff Redford (11:52):
Yeah, that's.
I think that's definitely it.
I mean, my kids used to jokethat the first trip was a
midlife crisis, and maybe it was.
I was 43.
Judy Oskam (12:00):
Oh, kids will do that.
Dr. Cliff Redford (12:03):
Well, they will joke and they will often be
correct.
That's right.
You know, I think it probablywas a little bit of a midlife
opportunity.
I call it, but yeah it.
You know, I get this itch and Iwant to go and I want to
challenge myself, and it has.
I've always felt like I'm agood veterinarian.
(12:23):
I graduated from one of the topschools in the world.
I graduated rather young, at 24.
I opened my practice at 26,very unusual when my boys were
just infants, twin boys, andEmily hadn't been born yet.
So I'm very risk.
What's the opposite of a verse?
Judy Oskam (12:43):
Pro-risk, you pro-risk.
Dr. Cliff Redford (12:45):
Yeah, like it doesn't bother me.
I remember starting the clinicand you know the loan was about
$200,000 at the time and my wifeand I my first wife we had just
bought a home and whatnot, andwe literally said well, what
happens if a meteor hits thisclinic and you're not covered in
insurance?
Well then, we sell the houseand we start over.
I'm 26 years old, you insurance?
(13:05):
Well then, we sell the houseand we start over.
I'm 26 years old, you knowit'll be fine, so I don't worry,
I am not risk averse and anytimes I've challenged myself,
even if I've failed or didn't doas well as I thought, I've
learned from it.
So you learn more from yourfailures, as the saying goes,
and I got so much more I need tolearn.
Judy Oskam (13:27):
Yeah, well, well, I love that.
And what would you tell peoplewho who want to embrace a little
adventure in their lives?
Do you have a couple of tips orstrategies that you would tell
them, based on your experiences,who maybe don't have the
exciting, sexy career that youdo?
Dr. Cliff Redford (13:48):
Yeah, well, look, you can make it exciting
and sexy.
Veterinarian is a cool career,but there's a difference between
, you know, working at a cat anddog clinic, like I do, you know
, during my regular life, andthen rappelling down into a well
to rescue a dog as it'sdrowning in India, you know, um,
so you can, you can make.
(14:08):
I don't necessarily recommendrisking, you know, injury, as
sometimes I do foolishly,unfortunately, um, but the main,
the main thing, is feelingcomfortable with being
uncomfortable, right, like youknow, recognizing that unless
it's real pain, it doesn't hurt.
You know, like, beinguncomfortable, being nervous,
(14:29):
being frightened, being unsure,that's not painful, that is
strengthening.
And you know you're going to.
And it doesn't have to beprofessionally related, you know
you can.
When you go on vacation, whynecessarily do the all-inclusive
behind the white picket fencein some gorgeous southern south
(14:50):
american community when you canrent an airbnb and get a similar
experience, but one that's alot more real, a lot more
natural?
And the last thing and I'llsteal this quote from anthony
bourdain, who's definitely hisshow and his life was an
inspiration of mine he says ifyou want to truly experience
(15:13):
wonderful cuisine, you have torisk experiencing awful cuisine.
And that's true If you want toreally embrace life and really
experience something that'swonderful.
Every once in a while it's notgoing to be wonderful, it's
going to kind of suck, but itjust makes the wonderful that
much more greater and it givesyou great stories around the
(15:36):
dinner table later on.
Judy Oskam (15:38):
Well, yeah, I love that.
And what would you tell thathigh school kid looking back now
who's trying to figure outwhat's life all about?
What would you tell your oldhigh school self?
Dr. Cliff Redford (15:49):
Yeah, if I got personal I'd probably say
don't get married so early.
I got married at 21.
And I love my ex-wife but she'smy ex-wife.
We were way too young.
It was absolutely crazy.
I would probably tell myyounger self don't take life and
(16:11):
sort of the popularity of lifeso seriously.
Like find out who you are,that's the big thing.
Find out who you are andembrace it, even if it's a
little bit different than sortof the norm, bit different than
sort of the norm.
You're going to end up being somuch happier for it and chase
that, chase that version ofyourself.
You know, look at the future,don't look at what's going on
(16:33):
right at the moment and riskhaving a crappy cuisine or
experience every once in a while.
Judy Oskam (16:39):
I love that.
I love that.
Well, and and what was yourfirst step in finding out who
you were?
If you look back, do you havesomething that was a landmark
step for you?
Dr. Cliff Redford (16:49):
Yeah, probably.
Yeah, that's a tough one.
There's been so many right andI don't even know if I'm.
I don't think I'm there yet.
You know I keep changing.
You know, five years ago Idecided to take up surfing.
I'd always I'd done a littlebit of holiday surfing when I
was younger honeymoon, that sortof thing where your goal is
(17:11):
just to get on the board and getto the beach.
And during the pandemic I hadrealized there was surfing
available in Lake Ontario inToronto.
It's a big enough lake that, ifthe wind is going in the right
direction and it's strong enough, we can get surfable waves.
A big enough lake that, if thewind is going in the right
direction and it's strong enough, we can get surfable waves in
fresh water.
Now the thing is it's often inNovember, January, so we're
(17:33):
wearing these giant wetsuits,hoodies, mittens, booties.
We look like fat penguins outthere, giant fat penguins, um,
and the waves are kind of likehockey players.
They knock you around.
But like that was somethingthat I wanted to try, I decided
to give it six months and I havefallen in love with it, full on
(17:53):
Um.
So there's not one thing.
I'm constantly evolving orwarping or changing Um, and
maybe that's who I am, maybethat's what it is.
I'm, the my personality and theperson I am is someone who's
always changing, sometimes notfor the better, but then later
(18:14):
on I correct course.
So there's no particular time,because I'm constantly learning
and sort of learning more andmore about myself.
Judy Oskam (18:23):
So there's not an age on this deal.
Any age goes right.
There's no age where it's toolate to make changes.
I want listeners to hear thatin any age you can still make
changes.
Dr. Cliff Redford (18:35):
There is no age.
So I'm 52.
My wife is 51.
A year ago she opened up a spinstudio, a fitness studio.
That was her dream since juniorhigh to own a fitness studio.
And you know, she finally gotthe courage and the opportunity.
I just started boxing threeyears ago, four years ago, at 48
(18:59):
years old, and I'm nowcompeting with other old guys in
boxing matches.
Maybe it's not good for mybrain, but it's great for my
heart and my soul and mywaistline and my blood pressure.
So I'm constantly doingsomething and I think I know
what my retirement life lookslike.
I mean it's going to bevolunteering and traveling and
(19:19):
surfing, but for all I know Imight be playing the cello and
snowboarding or like I have noidea.
So I'm just going to keepchasing what'sboarding Like I
have no idea.
So I'm just going to keepchasing what's in front of me
and see what happens.
Judy Oskam (19:30):
Well, and I love that open attitude and your
spirit of adventure.
And you know you mentionedretirement, but you're a long
ways away from that.
But, look ahead five years.
What do you want to do in fiveyears?
What does it look like?
Where?
Dr. Cliff Redford (19:46):
have you been by then?
Yeah, I mean I'll still own myclinic, I suspect, and you know,
I'll probably be spending alittle bit more time in Greece.
My wife's family is there andwe have a little two bedroom a
couple of subway stops from theAcropolis.
So although I won't be retired,I'll be.
I hope I'm not working six daysa week anymore.
Won't be retired, I'll be.
I hope I'm not working six daysa week anymore.
(20:07):
Um, I would like to uh.
Judy Oskam (20:13):
I would like to catch a barrel, or what's called
barrel, like getting a barrelwave, and surfing the round the.
Dr. Cliff Redford (20:16):
When you're in the middle, they say, uh, I
got barrel.
It's not even barrel.
Uh, it's a very odd uh.
So I'd like to do that.
And uh, yeah, I don't know.
I don't know, I think I want to.
I want to swim with the sharks.
I'm really afraid of sharks, soI want to swim with them to get
over my fear.
But other than that, like Idon't have any specific you know
goal, and I think that's aproblem that people have like to
(20:38):
them, retirement is not working, and okay.
So what are you going to do?
After a couple of months ofwatching Family Feud or sitting
on the beach drinking Mai Tais,you're, you're either your liver
is going to be hurting or youreyes are going to be hurting, or
vice versa.
But like I don't you know, allI know is I'm not gonna be
(20:59):
working as much in the classicsense, but I'm still going to be
taking care of animals andlearning a language and probably
learning another new sport thatI'm way too old to learn,
according to the average people,and I'll just be loving life
and hopefully it'll go on formany, many decades.
Judy Oskam (21:21):
Oh, I love that and I want to kind of close out with
your tagline.
It deals with kindness.
Tell us about that and why andhow can we be more kind to our
own animals?
Dr. Cliff Redford (21:34):
Yeah, and my tagline be kind to animals.
I then added to it be kind toeach other and be kind to
yourself, which is somethingthat I think some of us need to
hear.
The thing with being kind toanimals is we just have to show
them the respect that theydeserve and recognize that this
isn't our planet and we share itwith them.
They share it with us and weshould be lucky.
(21:56):
We should express that joy andappreciation that they're
sharing with us.
We have a squirrel living inthis meter, this water meter box
attached to our house, whichcan't stay there, and she has a
little four week old baby.
So today I've borrowed from therescue that I volunteer at I
(22:17):
volunteer once a week withwildlife.
I've borrowed this or takenthis two story wooden house and
I'm going to install it andinstead of evicting them, like
any good person in Toronto, wedo not evict our homeless we
find them a nice home to live in, so I'm going to move them from
this tiny little box to a twostory home with a balcony.
(22:45):
So, that's how you can be kindto animals.
I could just wait for the babyto be old enough and then I
could just open the thing up andthrow their stuff on the lawn
and they would be fine.
But I want them to be more thanfine.
I want them to be comfortable.
So, uh, and it's going to bringme lots of joy I love that and
be kind to yourself and thatthat you added that on to be
kind to animals yourself and andothers.
(23:09):
Yeah, yeah, be kind to othersand be kind to yourself.
I mean, uh, life is short.
Life is a lot more fun whenyou're, when you're easy on
yourself and easy on others.
Give people a break.
You don't know what they'regoing through when they're, when
they're a little bit rude toyou.
Maybe there are times whereyou're going to be rude to
somebody else as well.
You don't mean to.
(23:29):
You're going through a bad day.
So forgive those when they're alittle bit ornery and forgive
yourself when you make a mistakeand just go and chase that
wonderful cuisine.
As Anthony Bourdain says, it'sokay if you failed at one.
If you failed it, one try again.
Judy Oskam (23:47):
I love that.
Thank you, dr Cliff, forjoining us on a holiday weekend,
by the way, so thank you somuch.
Dr. Cliff Redford (23:53):
My pleasure, it's been fun.
Judy Oskam (23:55):
Fantastic information and fantastic
takeaways.
So many takeaways.
There are so many gems in thisinterview.
For me, the takeaways getuncomfortable with being
uncomfortable, Feeling nervous,unsure, a little afraid.
Isn't really pain, it's growth.
And second risk, the not sogreat, to discover the
(24:19):
unforgettable.
As Dr Cliff says, the wonderfulmoments sometimes come with a
few misses along the way.
and I love his focus on themotto be kind to animals, be
kind to each other and be kindto yourself.
Don't we all need to hear thatmore every single day?
Well, thank you for listeningto Stories of Change and
(24:41):
Creativity.
Until next time, keep kind ofsearching for your own adventure
and remember if you've got astory to share or know someone
who does reach out to me atJudyOskamcom.
Thanks for listening.
Hey, welcome back to Stories of Change and
Creativity.
I'm Judy Oskam, a professor atTexas State University.
I'm fascinated, and I alwayshave been, by passionate people
who are curious and have agrowth mindset, and that's
certainly the case for my guesttoday.
Dr Cliff Redford is aveterinarian from Ontario,
(00:24):
canada.
He brings adventure, healingand heart to the world.
He in war zones.
(00:45):
His mission is to make a realimpact, and we all want to make
a real impact, so I asked DrCliff to share a couple of ways
we can all add more adventureinto our lives.
His answers might just inspireyou to make a change, no matter
what your age.
(01:05):
He lives by the simple butpowerful motto be kind to
animals, be kind to each otherand be kind to yourself.
I hope you enjoy thisconversation as much as I did.
Dr. Cliff Redford (01:19):
I think I was born to do it.
I didn't actually decide to bea veterinarian until final year
high school.
I really wanted to be a policeofficer or a science teacher or
a paramedic or a marinebiologist or a veterinarian, so
kind of all like serviceoriented, science oriented.
But you know my like, myteachers and church leaders and
(01:45):
all these people that knew mewhen I was 10 years old, eight
years old, all said even thenthey knew I was going to be a
vet, so I think it was in myblood for sure.
And then, as far as thetraveling which is now my, my
future kind of passion, I mean Ilove it now but it's what I'm
going to do when I eventuallyretire is continue to volunteer
and travel.
(02:05):
That started nine years agoalmost to the day, maybe to the
day, I think, nine years ago now.
I was in Jamaica, about toreturn and I had done a
three-week volunteer trip.
Now it was volunteering thefull 21 days straight, but I was
also filming it to kind ofpitch this TV show idea which I
(02:26):
haven't given up on.
But now the volunteer travelbug bit me and, like I said, I'm
going to be doing this.
I'm going to be doing this foras long as I'm helpful.
Judy Oskam (02:37):
Well, and I know I have a lot of students and I
have a lot of friends who justlove travel, so combining their
career with travel is somethingthat you found a way to do that.
Dr. Cliff Redford (02:48):
Yeah, it's been wonderful and it's made you
know it's air quotes forced meto go to places that I may not
have gone to because I don't goto vacation spots.
You know, when I went to Indiatwice with my daughter, it was
in the mid-south city ofHyderabad.
There's no vacation spot there.
(03:10):
So we went there to work and itwas fantastic.
So places like that I mean Iwent up to twice in January, the
last two Januaries, up to theArctic Circle, up to Iqaluit,
canada, where there's like acouple hours of sunlight and
it's minus 40 degrees.
I would not have gone exceptthey needed me and I'm so glad I
(03:31):
went, I'm so glad I went inJanuary.
So it has opened the world, youknow, sort of opened up my eyes
to the world and it's made me amuch better veterinarian and a
better person and a betterfather, etc.
Etc.
But professionally speaking,the things I've learned there
and have forced myself to learnwhile I'm back here getting
(03:52):
ready for the next trip has hasreally elevated my, my skills.
Judy Oskam (03:57):
Well, and let me ask you did you always have a
growth mindset?
Were you always open tolearning and growing?
Were you always curious mindset?
Dr. Cliff Redford (04:05):
Were you always open to learning and
growing?
Were you always curious?
Yeah, definitely I was.
You know, I was that kid thatwas trying, you know, every
single different martial art andjoining every single different
sport, and it wasn't that I wasgetting bored with it.
I enjoyed whatever sport I wasdoing.
I just okay, and I've learned alittle bit of this.
I want to try and learn alittle bit of that and see which
one I like doing.
I just okay, and I've learned alittle bit of this.
I want to try and learn alittle bit of that and see which
(04:27):
one I like better.
Of course, as a Canadian kid, Iplayed a lot of hockey, which I
still do and I absolutely love.
But when it comes to academics,social things, sports, you know
, hobbies I'm I may be doing alittle bit too much.
I've tried to learn multipledifferent languages and right
(04:49):
now I'm trying to learn Greekbecause my wife is Greek and her
family's Greek, and we're goingto live in Greece one day.
But it's always, you know,let's try to do something new,
new, new.
I mean even podcasting.
My podcast now is on, maybe the80th episode, so it's been
about two years, which is great,but it's my third kick at the
camp.
(05:09):
I've done multiple podcasts andthis is now finally.
It's stuck, you know.
So I think that's important.
I think it's important that wetry new things, expand our
skills, not only improve thethings we're good at, but see if
we're good at something else aswell.
Judy Oskam (05:31):
And it keeps life colorful and interesting.
Well, speaking of keeping itcolorful and interesting, what
is it about the countries andthe challenges that draw you to
a particular internationallocation?
Is it the type of animal?
Is it the severity of theinjuries?
What is it?
Dr. Cliff Redford (05:46):
Yeah, it's a little bit about everything.
I mean Jamaica.
I was supposed to again withthis first trip.
It was kind of a let's filmsome footage to try and pitch a
TV show, and I was originallygoing to go to Beijing.
I was learning Mandarin at thetime.
I have a lot ofChinese-speaking
Mandarin-speaking clients, andwhat greater way to practice my
(06:07):
Mandarin?
That fell through.
There was some concerns about aWesterner coming down with a
camera and filming animalwelfare.
So I get it.
It might have been a bit of apolitical hotbed.
So I stumbled upon Jamaica.
It was like my, my fallbackoption what a great, what a
great.
Second option, right?
(06:27):
Um, but after that, rescuestarted reaching out to me like
in droves and so I startedlooking for.
I kind of have a few things.
There has to be a need, meaningif a rescue comes to me and I
think I've only got a day ortwo's worth of work in spaying
and neutering and taking care oftheir animals, that's not big
(06:50):
enough.
Now maybe I find multiplerescues to work with, but I want
to be there for about 10 days.
I want to work every single day.
There has to be aninfrastructure, so either a
local veterinarian I can workwith a rescue group, some
technicians.
Am I doing surgery in themiddle of the jungle or in the
desert, like I did in Panama andEgypt respectively?
(07:10):
Or is it actually in a clinic,like I did when I went to the
war zone in Ukraine?
Then the last place is I wantto go there.
I'm not going to do the WestIndies again for a while,
because I did Jamaica.
It's beautiful, but I want totry some different things.
I'm really talking to thiswoman on Instagram.
(07:31):
She's called Vet Becca, she's aone-year graduate and she's in
Nigeria.
I was thinking of going toNigeria.
I've never been to that part ofAfrica.
So those are the kind of thethings I look for and I look for
.
So the need, the infrastructureand just a really cool place
that I've never experienced, theculture or anything like it.
(07:52):
That's that's my goal.
Judy Oskam (07:52):
So that drives you.
And then it sounds like,because of all those factors, it
helps you make an impact.
Right?
If you didn't have theinfrastructure there, you
couldn't really have anytraction, right?
Isn't that the main reasonyou're doing this?
Dr. Cliff Redford (08:05):
Oh, 100%, yeah, and even now like,
although I'll film it forInstagram just on my iPhone, I
don't travel with a film crew.
When I went to Jamaica, we hadfive people on a film crew.
They were all students, likerecent graduates, from a local
college film college.
I paid them in pizza, beer anda trip to Jamaica, so they were
(08:26):
happy.
It was a good thing.
They got to practice theirskills, it was a good deal, it
was a fun time, and then it justwent down to, you know, three
people and then two people andthen eventually I think it
started in Panama.
When my daughter and I went toPanama just as the pandemic was
ending.
It was just her and I and wejust filmed everything on our
iPhone.
So it is becoming the volunteeraspect.
(08:48):
And, yeah, I absolutely have tobe causing a positive impact
Massive spay-neuter clinics thatwe arrange and work with other
organizations In India, workingwith an animal rescue group that
had the facilities but didn'thave a veterinarian, and again
(09:09):
in Kharkiv, ukraine, a couple ofyears ago during the war,
working with a rescue group thatwas working directly with the
military when the military wasgoing through an area that had
been bombed, and they findinjured animals.
We then go and pick them up andwe do surgery in this clinic
that had been bombed.
And they find injured animals.
We then go and pick them up andwe do surgery in this clinic
that had been abandoned.
(09:29):
The veterinarian had left.
So I was able and I was theonly sort of real veterinarian
that they had a veterinarian bydoctor, by the name of Dr
Natasha.
She's amazing, but she had justgraduated, she, she didn't know
.
You know, she could barely spaya dog, let alone do advanced
surgery.
So I got to mentor her and shegot to teach me the ways of
(09:50):
Ukraine and sort of the culturalaspects, which is always
important to me.
So I come from these trips, Icome back exhausted and
energized at the same time.
Yeah, and tell me what theimpact is when you do get back
(10:18):
on your patients, on yourfriends, your family.
I mean, what are the takeawaysfor you there?
Because I'm forced to do thingssurgeries that maybe I'm not
super comfortable in, but Ilearned that, hey, my training
is really solid and I'm able tofigure this out, and I'm also
(10:41):
doing it with a lot less toolsor archaic anesthetics, things
of that nature.
So when I come back to mymodern clinic, my modern
hospital, it's easy.
Back to my modern clinic, mymodern hospital, it's easy.
Um, and then I mean, personally,I am very.
It calms me.
You know, like over the yearsand I keep talking about Ukraine
, ukraine, cause it was the mostsort of emotionally difficult,
uh, thing to deal with Um, myteam, my family, my friends all
(11:03):
say, no, you're, you're calmer,you're, you know, you just, you
just nothing.
It's like water off a duck'sback.
You know, when, these littlethings that it doesn't bother me
if someone gets my order wrongat the local coffee shop, right,
who cares?
So it it.
It sort of paints a big pictureon what's important in life.
(11:23):
But I'm really happy to comeback.
It's like I'm really sad toleave.
I'm really happy to come back.
I miss my life, I miss myfamily, and then I'm already
going.
Okay, when's next, though?
When's next?
Because I know I'm going to getthis itch and I just got to do
it.
Judy Oskam (11:41):
Well and is part of that itch taking the challenge
and then the result is reallybuilding more trust in your
abilities and who you are.
Dr. Cliff Redford (11:52):
Yeah, that's.
I think that's definitely it.
I mean, my kids used to jokethat the first trip was a
midlife crisis, and maybe it was.
I was 43.
Judy Oskam (12:00):
Oh, kids will do that.
Dr. Cliff Redford (12:03):
Well, they will joke and they will often be
correct.
That's right.
You know, I think it probablywas a little bit of a midlife
opportunity.
I call it, but yeah it.
You know, I get this itch and Iwant to go and I want to
challenge myself, and it has.
I've always felt like I'm agood veterinarian.
(12:23):
I graduated from one of the topschools in the world.
I graduated rather young, at 24.
I opened my practice at 26,very unusual when my boys were
just infants, twin boys, andEmily hadn't been born yet.
So I'm very risk.
What's the opposite of a verse?
Judy Oskam (12:43):
Pro-risk, you pro-risk.
Dr. Cliff Redford (12:45):
Yeah, like it doesn't bother me.
I remember starting the clinicand you know the loan was about
$200,000 at the time and my wifeand I my first wife we had just
bought a home and whatnot, andwe literally said well, what
happens if a meteor hits thisclinic and you're not covered in
insurance?
Well then, we sell the houseand we start over.
I'm 26 years old, you insurance?
(13:05):
Well then, we sell the houseand we start over.
I'm 26 years old, you knowit'll be fine, so I don't worry,
I am not risk averse and anytimes I've challenged myself,
even if I've failed or didn't doas well as I thought, I've
learned from it.
So you learn more from yourfailures, as the saying goes,
and I got so much more I need tolearn.
Judy Oskam (13:27):
Yeah, well, well, I love that.
And what would you tell peoplewho who want to embrace a little
adventure in their lives?
Do you have a couple of tips orstrategies that you would tell
them, based on your experiences,who maybe don't have the
exciting, sexy career that youdo?
Dr. Cliff Redford (13:48):
Yeah, well, look, you can make it exciting
and sexy.
Veterinarian is a cool career,but there's a difference between
, you know, working at a cat anddog clinic, like I do, you know
, during my regular life, andthen rappelling down into a well
to rescue a dog as it'sdrowning in India, you know, um,
so you can, you can make.
(14:08):
I don't necessarily recommendrisking, you know, injury, as
sometimes I do foolishly,unfortunately, um, but the main,
the main thing, is feelingcomfortable with being
uncomfortable, right, like youknow, recognizing that unless
it's real pain, it doesn't hurt.
You know, like, beinguncomfortable, being nervous,
(14:29):
being frightened, being unsure,that's not painful, that is
strengthening.
And you know you're going to.
And it doesn't have to beprofessionally related, you know
you can.
When you go on vacation, whynecessarily do the all-inclusive
behind the white picket fencein some gorgeous southern south
(14:50):
american community when you canrent an airbnb and get a similar
experience, but one that's alot more real, a lot more
natural?
And the last thing and I'llsteal this quote from anthony
bourdain, who's definitely hisshow and his life was an
inspiration of mine he says ifyou want to truly experience
(15:13):
wonderful cuisine, you have torisk experiencing awful cuisine.
And that's true If you want toreally embrace life and really
experience something that'swonderful.
Every once in a while it's notgoing to be wonderful, it's
going to kind of suck, but itjust makes the wonderful that
much more greater and it givesyou great stories around the
(15:36):
dinner table later on.
Judy Oskam (15:38):
Well, yeah, I love that.
And what would you tell thathigh school kid looking back now
who's trying to figure outwhat's life all about?
What would you tell your oldhigh school self?
Dr. Cliff Redford (15:49):
Yeah, if I got personal I'd probably say
don't get married so early.
I got married at 21.
And I love my ex-wife but she'smy ex-wife.
We were way too young.
It was absolutely crazy.
I would probably tell myyounger self don't take life and
(16:11):
sort of the popularity of lifeso seriously.
Like find out who you are,that's the big thing.
Find out who you are andembrace it, even if it's a
little bit different than sortof the norm, bit different than
sort of the norm.
You're going to end up being somuch happier for it and chase
that, chase that version ofyourself.
You know, look at the future,don't look at what's going on
(16:33):
right at the moment and riskhaving a crappy cuisine or
experience every once in a while.
Judy Oskam (16:39):
I love that.
I love that.
Well, and and what was yourfirst step in finding out who
you were?
If you look back, do you havesomething that was a landmark
step for you?
Dr. Cliff Redford (16:49):
Yeah, probably.
Yeah, that's a tough one.
There's been so many right andI don't even know if I'm.
I don't think I'm there yet.
You know I keep changing.
You know, five years ago Idecided to take up surfing.
I'd always I'd done a littlebit of holiday surfing when I
was younger honeymoon, that sortof thing where your goal is
(17:11):
just to get on the board and getto the beach.
And during the pandemic I hadrealized there was surfing
available in Lake Ontario inToronto.
It's a big enough lake that, ifthe wind is going in the right
direction and it's strong enough, we can get surfable waves.
A big enough lake that, if thewind is going in the right
direction and it's strong enough, we can get surfable waves in
fresh water.
Now the thing is it's often inNovember, January, so we're
(17:33):
wearing these giant wetsuits,hoodies, mittens, booties.
We look like fat penguins outthere, giant fat penguins, um,
and the waves are kind of likehockey players.
They knock you around.
But like that was somethingthat I wanted to try, I decided
to give it six months and I havefallen in love with it, full on
(17:53):
Um.
So there's not one thing.
I'm constantly evolving orwarping or changing Um, and
maybe that's who I am, maybethat's what it is.
I'm, the my personality and theperson I am is someone who's
always changing, sometimes notfor the better, but then later
(18:14):
on I correct course.
So there's no particular time,because I'm constantly learning
and sort of learning more andmore about myself.
Judy Oskam (18:23):
So there's not an age on this deal.
Any age goes right.
There's no age where it's toolate to make changes.
I want listeners to hear thatin any age you can still make
changes.
Dr. Cliff Redford (18:35):
There is no age.
So I'm 52.
My wife is 51.
A year ago she opened up a spinstudio, a fitness studio.
That was her dream since juniorhigh to own a fitness studio.
And you know, she finally gotthe courage and the opportunity.
I just started boxing threeyears ago, four years ago, at 48
(18:59):
years old, and I'm nowcompeting with other old guys in
boxing matches.
Maybe it's not good for mybrain, but it's great for my
heart and my soul and mywaistline and my blood pressure.
So I'm constantly doingsomething and I think I know
what my retirement life lookslike.
I mean it's going to bevolunteering and traveling and
(19:19):
surfing, but for all I know Imight be playing the cello and
snowboarding or like I have noidea.
So I'm just going to keepchasing what'sboarding Like I
have no idea.
So I'm just going to keepchasing what's in front of me
and see what happens.
Judy Oskam (19:30):
Well, and I love that open attitude and your
spirit of adventure.
And you know you mentionedretirement, but you're a long
ways away from that.
But, look ahead five years.
What do you want to do in fiveyears?
What does it look like?
Where?
Dr. Cliff Redford (19:46):
have you been by then?
Yeah, I mean I'll still own myclinic, I suspect, and you know,
I'll probably be spending alittle bit more time in Greece.
My wife's family is there andwe have a little two bedroom a
couple of subway stops from theAcropolis.
So although I won't be retired,I'll be.
I hope I'm not working six daysa week anymore.
Won't be retired, I'll be.
I hope I'm not working six daysa week anymore.
(20:07):
Um, I would like to uh.
Judy Oskam (20:13):
I would like to catch a barrel, or what's called
barrel, like getting a barrelwave, and surfing the round the.
Dr. Cliff Redford (20:16):
When you're in the middle, they say, uh, I
got barrel.
It's not even barrel.
Uh, it's a very odd uh.
So I'd like to do that.
And uh, yeah, I don't know.
I don't know, I think I want to.
I want to swim with the sharks.
I'm really afraid of sharks, soI want to swim with them to get
over my fear.
But other than that, like Idon't have any specific you know
goal, and I think that's aproblem that people have like to
(20:38):
them, retirement is not working, and okay.
So what are you going to do?
After a couple of months ofwatching Family Feud or sitting
on the beach drinking Mai Tais,you're, you're either your liver
is going to be hurting or youreyes are going to be hurting, or
vice versa.
But like I don't you know, allI know is I'm not gonna be
(20:59):
working as much in the classicsense, but I'm still going to be
taking care of animals andlearning a language and probably
learning another new sport thatI'm way too old to learn,
according to the average people,and I'll just be loving life
and hopefully it'll go on formany, many decades.
Judy Oskam (21:21):
Oh, I love that and I want to kind of close out with
your tagline.
It deals with kindness.
Tell us about that and why andhow can we be more kind to our
own animals?
Dr. Cliff Redford (21:34):
Yeah, and my tagline be kind to animals.
I then added to it be kind toeach other and be kind to
yourself, which is somethingthat I think some of us need to
hear.
The thing with being kind toanimals is we just have to show
them the respect that theydeserve and recognize that this
isn't our planet and we share itwith them.
They share it with us and weshould be lucky.
(21:56):
We should express that joy andappreciation that they're
sharing with us.
We have a squirrel living inthis meter, this water meter box
attached to our house, whichcan't stay there, and she has a
little four week old baby.
So today I've borrowed from therescue that I volunteer at I
(22:17):
volunteer once a week withwildlife.
I've borrowed this or takenthis two story wooden house and
I'm going to install it andinstead of evicting them, like
any good person in Toronto, wedo not evict our homeless we
find them a nice home to live in, so I'm going to move them from
this tiny little box to a twostory home with a balcony.
(22:45):
So, that's how you can be kindto animals.
I could just wait for the babyto be old enough and then I
could just open the thing up andthrow their stuff on the lawn
and they would be fine.
But I want them to be more thanfine.
I want them to be comfortable.
So, uh, and it's going to bringme lots of joy I love that and
be kind to yourself and thatthat you added that on to be
kind to animals yourself and andothers.
(23:09):
Yeah, yeah, be kind to othersand be kind to yourself.
I mean, uh, life is short.
Life is a lot more fun whenyou're, when you're easy on
yourself and easy on others.
Give people a break.
You don't know what they'regoing through when they're, when
they're a little bit rude toyou.
Maybe there are times whereyou're going to be rude to
somebody else as well.
You don't mean to.
(23:29):
You're going through a bad day.
So forgive those when they're alittle bit ornery and forgive
yourself when you make a mistakeand just go and chase that
wonderful cuisine.
As Anthony Bourdain says, it'sokay if you failed at one.
If you failed it, one try again.
Judy Oskam (23:47):
I love that.
Thank you, dr Cliff, forjoining us on a holiday weekend,
by the way, so thank you somuch.
Dr. Cliff Redford (23:53):
My pleasure, it's been fun.
Judy Oskam (23:55):
Fantastic information and fantastic
takeaways.
So many takeaways.
There are so many gems in thisinterview.
For me, the takeaways getuncomfortable with being
uncomfortable, Feeling nervous,unsure, a little afraid.
Isn't really pain, it's growth.
And second risk, the not sogreat, to discover the
(24:19):
unforgettable.
As Dr Cliff says, the wonderfulmoments sometimes come with a
few misses along the way.
and I love his focus on themotto be kind to animals, be
kind to each other and be kindto yourself.
Don't we all need to hear thatmore every single day?
Well, thank you for listeningto Stories of Change and
(24:41):
Creativity.
Until next time, keep kind ofsearching for your own adventure
and remember if you've got astory to share or know someone
who does reach out to me atJudyOskamcom.
Thanks for listening.
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