The Gift of Happy with Mark Kondrat
Welcome to The Gift of Happy podcast, a space dedicated to empowering those on their journey to their highest selves. Founded on the three principles of health - mind, body, and soul - The Gift of Happy is committed to creating a supportive environment for personal growth and transformation.
Through inspiring conversations with experts and community members, we share insights, experiences, and strategies for achieving balance in all aspects of life. Whether it’s building mental resilience, enhancing physical fitness, or fostering spiritual well-being, The Gift of Happy podcast delves into the critical intersections of these three pillars of health. Join us as we explore the paths to personal fulfillment and uncover the secrets to living a balanced, enriched life.
Episodes
96 episodes
Alastair Smart: Happiness Through Connection and Curiosity
My friend and mentor, Alastair Smart, is someone who truly embodies what it means to live a full and happy life. Born and raised in England, he began his career as a police officer before following a path that eventually brought him...
Breaking Silence: Reclaiming Your Voice with Amber Nicole Hayes
Amber Nicole Hayes is an entrepreneur and author of The Obedient Daughter — a powerful memoir about breaking silence, confronting trauma, and reclaiming your voice.After leaving the corporate world to build her own design busine...
10 Marathons, 10 Days, 10 Provinces: Mike Hanson’s Mission to Give Back
Meet Mike Hanson, a devoted husband, father of four, and endurance athlete with a mission. Happily married and raising a young family, Mike’s life changed in 2012 when his twin boys were diagnosed with autism. Confronted with the ch...
A Yoga Journey - Finding My Passion Through Teaching Others
Meet Lisa Clemens, Owner of Kootenay Yoga School, with operations in Canada, California and Mexico.Lisa is originally from Christina Lake BC - currently residing between Joshua Tree California and Isla Mujeres Mexico. Through her c...
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Secrets From a Successful Entrepreneur - Build Meaningful Connections and Have Fun!
Meet Derek Hovinga, Founder of The Inbound Lab - helping founders and startups grow their companies.Derek's career spans a number of industries - construction, radio, television and film. With all of the skills he’s acquired in the...
Realizing Your Purpose Through Service To Others
Meet Brian Thiessen, practicing labour lawyer and candidate to be Calgary’s next mayor.Brian has witnessed firsthand the boom-and-bust cycles that have shaped Calgary’s economy, and worked with clean energy, agribusiness, tech and energy...
From Breakdown to Breakthrough: My Recovery Journey
Meet James MacDonald, Founder and President of the WoodridgeMTB Trail Support Foundation.WoodridgeMTB Trail Support Foundation is a registered Non-profit society in Alberta that supports Alberta Mountain Biking associations and bui...
Reinventing Yourself and Helping Others Along The Way
Meet Alyssa Kerbel, successful entrepreneur, mentor and community builder.Alyssa is a passionate, soul-led, entrepreneur who, over the past 20+ years, has started, grown, sold and exited two companies (Alyssa Agency, a wholesale fashion ...
Overcoming Personal Challenges as an Entrepreneur
Meet Quan Ly, Founder of Evil Corporation Brewing.By day, Quan Ly is a Chartered Professional Accountant and founder of McRally, a boutique fractional CFO services firm helping small businesses across Canada. By night, he’s the co-owner ...
Round 2: Getting Back In The Ring with Rebekah Goedbloed
I first met Rebekah in 2023 after her first amateur boxing match. We discussed her amazing journey from being bedridden and almost having her leg amputated to competing as a boxerThat first boxing match was supposed to be a one-and...
A Space for Self-Care and Connection with Jessica Schafer
Meet Jessica Schafer, psychotherapist and founder of My Inner Harbour, a membership-based self-care space for the mind, body and spirit in Nanaimo, British Columbia.With over a decade of experience in mental health, Jessica witnessed two...
Facing Yourself: The Hidden Truth About Our Discomforts - with Marlo Brausse
Meet Marlo Brausse, a former Probation Officer turned entrepreneur. Marlo opened Barre Body Studio in 2013, Calgary's first barre studio. She has won multiple awards as a small business entrepreneur and fitness instructor and launched Bar...
Embracing Authenticity and Connection with Natacha Mdawar
Meet Natacha Mdawar - Yoga Teacher, Public Speaker, and Co-Founder of X Path. Born in Lebanon and raised in Canada, Natacha has spent her life embracing the power of individuality and connection.Natacha’s passion for human connection and...
Finding Joy After Adversity with Cheryl Berger
Meet Cheryl Berger, Executive Assistant to the VP of HR at Bombardier Aerospace. Cheryl’s career journey is anything but ordinary, working in industries such as architecture and finance, to aerospace and beyond. Her life story is on...
Finding Clarity Through Challenge with Jochen Fahr
Meet Jochen Fahr, founder of Brauerei Fahr, the award-winning brewery celebrated for its authentic German beers. Born in Ebringen, Germany, Jochen turned his passion for brewing into a thriving business. But in 2023, after losing both his broth...
28 Days of Yoga With Lochlin Cross
This week on the podcast, we are joined once again by our good friend Lochlin Cross to chat about Mark's upcoming 28-day Yoga Challenge using the new Explore84 App!After a hockey injury left Lochlin with a broken tailbone, he reluctantl...
Healing the Mind, Body & Soul with Master Chef Michael Allemeier
Meet Michael Allemeier - Certified Master Chef and Instructor of Culinary Arts at SAIT Polytechnic. After years of enduring painful arthritis from the demands of a high-energy kitchen career, Michael recently underwent a full hip replacement.
Expanding Consciousness & Healing Through Psychedelics with Steve Rio
Meet Steve Rio - spiritual coach, entrepreneur, and Co-Founder of Enfold Institute. As a key figure in the psychedelic renaissance, Steve sits on the board of TheraPsil and advises leading companies in this space. His life’s work is to ra...
Mastering Mental Performance for Founders with Kevin Bailey
Meet Kevin Bailey, Co-Founder and CEO of Dreamfuel, a company that provides founders with mental performance coaching on par with what pro athletes receive. A three-time Inc. 500 startup founder, Kevin is also completing his master's in applied...
Pushing Limits & Staying Fit at Any Age with Richard Papp
Meet Richard Papp, a lifelong fitness enthusiast, athlete, and successful personal trainer who’s spent decades pushing the boundaries of physical potential—both for himself and his clients.Richard’s passion for fitness spans a wide range...
Exploring Mental Health, Spirituality, and Ayahuasca with Chad Gillies
Meet Chad Gillies, a devoted family man and spiritual explorer on a mission to reclaim mental health. A true psychonaut, Chad is all about doing the dirty work of personal transformation.In this episode, Chad shares his powerful story of...
Building Trust and Leading Through Conflict with Rod Stilwell
Meet Rod Stilwell, Chief Catalyst and President of Uni-Signal Development Group. With over 30 years of experience in leadership development, Rod specializes in helping executives and teams become the best versions of themselves.After lea...
Balancing Beer & Ultra Marathons with Shaun Caron
Meet Shaun Caron - passionate ultra runner and Territory Sales Manager at Red Truck Beer Co.Beyond his professional life in the beer industry, Shaun is an average Joe turned ultra runner and endurance athlete. His impressive race resume ...
Bootstrapping a Clean Beauty Revolution with Kelsey Irvine
Meet Kelsey Irvine - passionate leader and CEO of two Canadian all-natural skincare companies, Birch Babe and Birch Baby 🌱 Birch Babe is a collection of 60+ certified all-natural, plastic-free skincare and clean beauty products mad...
Building a Fitness Legacy with Pete Estabrooks
Meet Pete Estabrooks - one of Canada’s foremost experts in personal training and fitness. With over 45 years in the fitness industry, Pete’s journey is filled with passion, dedication, and an undeniable love for helping others achieve their fit...
