Tune Up Your Warrior

Most people are intimidated by wine—not because they don’t love it, but because they don’t know where to start. The language, the labels, the culture… it can feel exclusive, even snobbish. But what if someone could help you discover your love of wine by meeting you exactly where you are?

In this episode of Tune Up Your Warrior, Jenny sits down with her good friend Ryan Tapping, Division Manager at Profile Wine Group and former capit...

Mark Borowiecki built his reputation in the NHL as one of the league’s toughest defensemen — fearless, relentless, and never afraid to drop the gloves. But what makes him remarkable is not just his career, but the heart behind it.

Known to fans as “BoroCop,” Mark has become one of hockey’s strongest advocates for men’s mental health. From speaking out about men's mental health to sharing his own journey with OCD and anxiety,...

In this powerful episode of Tune Up Your Warrior, host Jenny Chen sits down with the trailblazing Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel Judge Albert Wong—a retired citizenship judge, decorated Canadian Armed Forces Lieutenant Commander, peacekeeper, strategist, and proud father—whose career has been marked by a series of meaningful “firsts.”

Albert began his public-service journey in 1976, has dedicated 39 years to the Canadian military, ...

Fertility care has long been treated as a personal, private struggle. But what if we reframed it as a public health issue—rooted in equity, access, and modern realities?

In this episode, Dr. Rhonda Zwingerman—OB-GYN and co-founder of Twig Fertility—joins Jenny to talk about why it’s time we rethink reproductive care. Together, they explore why traditional systems haven’t kept pace with how people live, work, and plan families to...

What happens when you build a business rooted in humanity—and still deliver elite-level results?

In this episode, Jenny sits down with Jenniffer Alvarenga, co-founder of Good Story Realty Group and one of Ottawa’s Forty Under 40, to talk about redefining success in real estate and beyond.

From immigrating to Canada as a student to launching a boutique real estate brand with her husband Leo, Jenniffer’s journey is one of resilience, l...

In this special episode, Jenny sits down with her daughter, Trinity, just before she heads off to university—for a raw and beautiful conversation about motherhood, healing, and rewriting the story you came from.

Jenny reflects on how becoming a mother changed her, how anger and generational trauma shaped her early years of parenting, and how Trinity became the catalyst for the healing they both needed.

Together, they open up ...

What if the way we talk about mental health is actually part of the problem?

Chris Ide is a father, advocate, and President of the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health—and in this powerful conversation, he shares why it’s time to stop treating mental health like a separate issue. As his son once asked, “If it’s your brain, isn’t it just… health?”

In this episode, Chris and Jenny explore:

🧠 Why the language we use around ment...

What does it mean to lead as an immigrant woman of colour in spaces where you’re still seen as a “first” or an “only”?

In this episode, finance executive and bestselling author Nadine Niba joins Jenny to talk about rising through the ranks of corporate Canada with courage, conviction, and an unapologetic sense of self. From leaving Cameroon to writing Quarterbacking Your Life, Nadine shares her journey of building what didn’t ex...

When your child struggles with their mental health, parents often feel powerless, isolated, and unsure where to turn. For Michelle Crogie, that experience shaped not only her personal journey as a mother, but also her calling as the Executive Director of PLEO (Parents’ Lifeline of Eastern Ontario).

In this episode of Tune Up Your Warrior, Michelle shares how her daughter’s mental health challenges illuminated the loneliness parents ...

In this deeply moving episode of Tune Up Your Warrior, host Jenny sits down with Tamy Bell, founder of The Golden Society and mother to Griffin — a boy whose light continues to inspire a movement.

Tamy shares her family’s journey, from Griffin’s premature birth and early weeks in the NICU to his brave battle with pediatric cancer. Through raw honesty and remarkable resilience, she reveals what it means to turn unimaginable grief...

In this episode, Jenny Chen sits down with Craig Meeds, Head of BMO Private Wealth Canada, to explore what it really takes to lead with impact in today’s evolving world.

From transparency and trust to systemic change and sponsorship over mentorship, Craig shares how he's helping shift the finance industry—one honest conversation at a time.

Together, they dive into Malcolm Gladwell’s Revenge of the Tipping Point, discuss what legacy ...

As kids return to school this fall, the conversation around youth mental health is louder than ever—and one question keeps coming up:
Should we ban social media for kids under high school age?

To kick off Season 2 of Tune Up Your Warrior, Jenny sits down with high school teacher and mom Tara Borowiecki to unpack what’s really happening in today’s classrooms—and homes—when it comes to screens, stress, and overstimulation.

Drawing on Jo...

What’s in a name? For many of us, it’s our beginning. Our legacy. Our first connection to where we come from.

In this episode, Jenny Chen sits down with Onome Ako—CEO, global development leader, and author of I Am Cherished—to talk about how names carry the weight of our culture, our identity, and our worth.

Named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women, recipient of the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award for Social Change, and a life...

"In the end, we are all stories — so let’s make it a good one."

In this special solo season finale, I open up about the journey that shaped me: from immigrating to Canada, to navigating a childhood where I never felt I belonged, to breaking generational cycles as a mother, to walking away from a 16-year career to launch Catalais Consulting and the Tune Up Your Warrior podcast.

🎧 What you won’t hear: perfection, watered-down ...

On this episode of Tune Up Your Warrior, Jenny sits down with her friend, longtime journalist and community builder Sam Laprade for a raw and courageous conversation about emotional abuse, reclaiming your identity, and what it takes to rebuild a life on your own terms.

Sam opens up about the disconnect between who she was publicly and the pain she endured privately—and how finding her voice changed everything.

This episode is about m...

What does it really take to be an inclusive leader in today’s world—especially when conversations around equity and belonging are being challenged, politicized, or dismissed?

In this episode, Jenny sits down with Silvio Stroescu—President of BMO InvestorLine and Head of Digital-First Wealth Management at BMO, transformational executive, and one of her greatest career mentors—to explore the core of leadership grounded in purpose.

...

In this episode of Tune Up Your Warrior, host Jenny Chen sits down with Aki Temiseva, President and CEO of the United Nations Association in Canada, to explore the global talent crisis—through a systems lens, not a diversity checkbox.

With over two decades of leadership experience spanning four continents and organizations like World Vision and Right To Play, Aki brings a powerful global perspective on workforce development, inc...

Stage-four cancer, chronic illness, blended-family life—Jenny and her husband Dan MacMillan have seen every side of what happens when there’s no plan in place. In this candid conversation they unpack:• Why naming an executor or Power-of-Attorney is a burden, not a badge of honour• The five starter questions that kick-off any solid estate plan — no lawyer required • Lived lessons from navigating diagnosis, divorce, and raising kids ...

This week, we’re breaking the rules and letting a Nepo Husband have the mic. (It’s his birthday week — we’re letting him cook.)

Dan MacMillan — or as he’s known in the industry, Danny Mac — is a top-ranking wealth advisor, cancer survivor, loving dad and dog dad, and the person I admire more than anyone I’ve ever worked with. Oh, and my husband. ❤️

In this episode, we unpack:

• What true sales leadership looks like when it's grounde...