Between Two Dots

Between Two Dots
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The title "Between Two Dots" is meant to describe the time between when we are born and when we perish. Our hope is to share insights and learnings from our guests, who we are inspired by and who are living life on their terms - with purpose and impact as their North Star. Hosted by Hafiz Mitha and Gilbert Bong.

  1. 6d ago

    185 - Rob Cote - Stampeders Legend, Entrepreneur & Community Builder

    Between Two Dots PodcastEpisode 185 – Rob Cote Rob Cote didn't grow up dreaming of playing in theCFL. He grew up in Cochrane as the new kid — twice — after three and a half years in Reno, Nevada, where he started playing football more by default than design. There was no plan, no target, no scholarship ambition. Just a kid who loved to move, loved to compete, and got lucky enough to be around the right coaches at the right time. Eleven seasons with the Calgary Stampeders, two Grey Cup championships, two President's Rings for leadership on and off the field, and the inaugural Herm Harrison Award for community service later — Rob retired at 31 with no interest in riding off into the sunset. He tried building a youth sports tech startup called Play City for eight years, lived in his parents'basement, went broke, and had to make the call to pull the plug. He landed in his dad's rust-proofing bay, listening to podcasts between cars, and somehow turned Krown into a growing business he now runs full time. He's also VP ofBusiness Development and Partnerships at the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association, building out their Alberta chapter from scratch. His North Star through all of it has been the same: don't set goals for outcomes you can't control. Focus on the skills, the relationships, and the process — the rest sorts itself out. Between two dots – “Really, the value is in that line: thejourney.” "Success isn't about climbing a ladder — it's about helping others rise." – Rob Cote   Episode Highlights: 00:00:00 – Introduction & Guest Overview00:00:42 – Born in Calgary, Raised in Cochrane: Moving, Adapting & Being the New Kid00:10:01 – Football, Basketball & Why Rob Never Had a Plan to Go Pro00:27:22 – 11 Seasons with the Stampeders: Two Grey Cups & Playing at 2000:39:26 – Life After the CFL: Identity, Transition & What Sport Actually Teaches You00:23:27 – Sponsor Ad Break00:25:44 – Play City, Going Broke & Knowing When to Walk Away01:04:21 – Krown Rust Protection: Taking Over the Family Business & Scaling It00:49:00 – ICBA, Building Community & What Rob Looks for in People01:10:50 – Outro & Call to Action   Connect with Rob Cote:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-cote/   Sponsors of this episode: Bloom Benefits Group: www.bloombenefits.ca  Zelos Investment Counsel: www.zelosglobal.com  Airways Krown: www.krown.com   Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and the guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or affiliated companies.

  2. Aug 10

    184 - Dr. Larry Stanleigh - Keynote Speaker, Discovery Insights Practitioner & Dentist

    Between Two Dots PodcastEpisode 184 – Dr. Larry Stanleigh Dr. Larry Stanleigh grew up the second youngest of 13 kidsin a five-bedroom house in central Toronto — and somehow came out of it disciplined enough to get a master's degree researching cystic fibrosis, graduate dental school, serve in the Canadian Forces, and build a dental practice from scratch. He didn't plan to stay in Calgary. He was sent there on a three-year military contract. Thirty-nine years later, he's still here. Over three decades in dentistry, Larry didn't just practice— he led. He grew his clinic into a multi-chair operation, became a go-to voice in the niche world of sleep breathing disorders and oral appliance therapy, and helped patients understand that snoring isn't just annoying — it's a diseasethat cuts years off your life and quietly fuels everything from Alzheimer's to cardiac arrest. He also trained his teams using the Insights Discovery system, eventually turning that skill into a second act as a public speaker and coach helping dental teams build stronger relationships with each other and theirpatients. His philosophy isn't complicated. Forget the golden rule —Larry lives by the diamond rule: don't treat people the way you want to be treated, find out what they actually want and give them that. Make it about them, not you. Between two dots – “Really, the value is in that line: thejourney.” "Don't make it about you, make it about them. Do that, and you'll live happier, healthier — a life of significance." – Dr. Larry Stanleigh   Episode Highlights: 00:00:00 – Introduction & Guest Overview00:01:17 – Second Youngest of 13: Growing Up in Toronto with Percy Faith as an Uncle00:05:38 – School, Music & Choosing Dentistry Over Medicine00:09:17 – Dad, Relationships & the Art of Selling Without Selling 00:14:02 – Canadian Forces, Calgary & 39 Years of Calling It Home 00:23:28 – Sponsor Ad Break 00:25:44 – Running a Dental Practice as a Small Business: Coaches, Systems & People 00:35:12 – Discovery Insights & Building Stronger Teams Through Self-Awareness00:43:20 – Sleep Breathing Medicine: The Disease Hiding in Plain Sight00:50:49 – The Diamond Rule, Lessons Learned & Living a Life of Significance00:55:29 – Outro & Call to Action   Connect with Larry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-stanleigh-a964449/ Sponsors of this episode: Bloom Benefits Group: www.bloombenefits.ca  Zelos Investment Counsel: www.zelosglobal.com  Airways Krown: www.krown.com   Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and the guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or affiliated companies.

  3. Aug 5

    183 - Gregg Farineau - Founder of Headhunters Canada

    Between Two Dots PodcastEpisode 183 – Gregg Farineau Gregg Farineau is seven feet tall, grew up in Paris, dropped out of high school, bounced through seven schools, self-medicated his way through years of crippling social anxiety, played professional basketball in Canada and France, burned out so badly he ended up in hospital with heart problems — and came out the other side as a recruiter who eats nothing but meat. His story doesn't follow a straight line. Born in France to a British-Canadian mother and a French father, Gregg moved to Calgary at seven and spent the next decade trying to figure out how to exist in a body nobody else had, in a country he didn't know, in schools that kept changing. Being the tallest, skinniest, most foreign-looking kid in the room wasn't a superpower — it was suffocating. It led to addiction, isolation, and years of not knowing how to just show up. Basketball gave him structure. France gave him a dream he had to pursue. Burnout gave him a breakdown. And all of it, eventually, gave him a clarity he couldn't have bought any other way. Today Gregg is the co-founder of Headhunters Canada, awhite-glove boutique recruiting firm connecting companies with top-tier talent across the country. He's also three years into an all-meat carnivore diet that he credits with fundamentally rewiring his energy, his focus, and his mentalhealth — and he'll tell you exactly why fiber is overrated. Between two dots – “Really, the value is in that line: thejourney.” "The worst thing that happened to me ended up being the best thing." – Gregg Farineau   Episode Highlights: 00:00:00 – Introduction & Guest Overview00:01:34 – Born in Paris, Raised in Calgary: Seven Schools & a Tough Arrival00:07:54 – Being Seven Feet Tall: Social Anxiety, Addiction & Finding His Footing00:15:30 – Basketball as a Lifeline & the Decision to Turn Pro00:23:12 – Chasing the Dream in France & Knowing When to Walk Away00:28:44 – The Speaker's Bureau, Burnout & Six Months of Suicidal Thoughts00:30:12 – Sponsor Ad Break00:32:27 – Recovery, Self-Discovery & Becoming an Entrepreneur00:46:20 – The Carnivore Diet: Why He Eats Only Meat & What Changed00:58:59 – Headhunters Canada, Connecting Talent & Wrapping Up01:05:51 – Outro & Call to Action   Connect with Gregg:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregg_le_giant/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregg-farineau/   Sponsors of this episode: Bloom Benefits Group: www.bloombenefits.ca  Zelos Investment Counsel: www.zelosglobal.com  Airways Krown: www.krown.com   Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and the guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or affiliated companies.

  4. Jul 20

    182 - Jeff Pilon - Two-Time Grey Cup Champion & Founder of Selling Properties

    Between Two Dots Podcast Episode 182 – Jeff Pilon Jeff Pilon walked into the world as a scrawny kid from Ottawa whose dad could do two hours of sit-ups just for the hell of it at 78 years old, and whose brother was 13 months older, equally large, and always one step ahead. Sports weren't a hobby in the Pilon household — they were the curriculum. His father made the Olympics in wrestling, then judo. His brother became Calgary's first overall pick. Jeff? He just wanted to hit people and figure out how cars worked. What followed was a decade at Syracuse, a practice squad stint with the New York Jets, a season in the inaugural XFL, 17 shoulder and knee operations, and ten seasons as an offensive lineman for the Calgary Stampeders — winning two Grey Cups, earning Western All-Star honours, and playing the last two years of his career with a broken back. In ten seasons, he missed six games. He now spends his time in a quieter kind of trench: Calgary real estate, as founder of Selling Properties, specialising in northwest Calgary listings, pre-construction marketing, and investment opportunities. He doesn't talk about himself much. He showed up to this interview from a library room because his dog, his kids, and his wife's conference call had taken over the house. Between two dots – “Really, the value is in that line: the journey.”   "Life's full of excuses. You can stop. You can lose your business. Anything happens. But how bad do you want it?" – Jeff Pilon   Episode Highlights: 00:00:00 – Introduction & Guest Overview 00:01:57 – Born in Ottawa: A Wrestling Hall of Famer Dad & Growing Up Competing 00:06:37 – Self-Made Highlight Tapes, Scouting Camps & Choosing Syracuse Over Michigan 00:14:58 – Training for the NFL Draft, the Jets & Why Honesty Cost Him 00:21:45 – Meningitis, Surgeries & Playing Through Everything 00:27:57 – Sponsor Ad Break 00:30:14 – Ten Seasons with the Stampeders: Two Grey Cups & a Broken Back 00:43:56 – The Culture of Football: Pain, Brotherhood & Playing for the Guy Beside You 01:01:29 – From the Field to Real Estate: Building a Second Career 01:11:41 – Outro & Call to Action   Connect with Jeff: Website: https://www.jeffpilon.ca Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffpilonremax/   Sponsors of this episode: Bloom Benefits Group: www.bloombenefits.ca   Zelos Investment Counsel: www.zelosglobal.com   Airways Krown: www.krown.com   Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and the guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or affiliated companies.

  5. Jul 15

    181 - Dr. Simon Bryant - Doctor, Humanitarian & Lifelong Adventurer

    Between Two Dots PodcastEpisode 181 – Dr. SimonBryantSimon Bryant came into the shop to get his car undercoated. He left with a podcast invitation. That's how it starts with Simon — a stranger, a conversation, and somethingthat stays with you long after. Born in Coventry, England, Simon crossed the Atlantic byboat at age three, grew up in a secular, book-filled, television-free home with libertarian parents who thought nothing of letting their 13-year-old cycle solo from Montreal to ancouver — 100 miles a day. He dropped out of university at 17, traveled the world for eight years, survived a near head-on collision with a tractor trailer in Kitimat that quietly rearranged his priorities, and eventually returned to school. He graduated from medical school at 30 and spent the next 35 years doing almost everything a physician could do: hospitalist, rural and remote medicine across Alberta, a decade serving Inuit communities in the Canadian Arctic, search and rescue on a Doctors Without Borders ship in the Mediterranean — pulling over 7,000 asylum seekers out of rubber dinghies. He worked in the emergency department and ICU in Taliban-adjacent Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan. Then, for the last several years of his career, medical assistance in dying. He retired on December 31st, 2024, and spent the next month learningto sail in the Caribbean. Between two dots – “Really, the value is in that line: thejourney.”   "The reasons I started aren't the reasons I continue. It stopped being about me. If something needs doing and nobody elseis doing it — why not me? Why not now?" – Dr. Simon Bryant   Episode Highlights: 00:00:00 – Introduction & Guest Overview00:01:05 – Born in England, Raised Everywhere: A Libertarian Childhood Without TV00:05:48 – Cycling Solo Across Canada at 13: 100 Miles a Day00:11:11 – A Near-Death Experience & Finding Purpose Through Travel00:22:27 – 35 Years of Medicine: Hospitalist, the Arctic & Doctors Without Borders00:29:15 – Sponsor Ad Break00:31:31 – Medical Assistance in Dying: Why He Chose the Work Nobody Else Would00:39:47 – Ego, Service & the Moment It Stopped Being About Him00:49:47 – Live with Purpose, Stay Curious: Lessons from a Life Well Done00:56:52 – Outro & Call to Action  Sponsors of this episode: Bloom Benefits Group: www.bloombenefits.ca  Zelos Investment Counsel: www.zelosglobal.com  Airways Krown: www.krown.com   Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and the guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or affiliated companies.

  6. Jul 6

    180 - Mike McGillivray - Specialty Finance Expert & Director at Care Lending Group

    Between Two Dots PodcastEpisode 180 – Mike McGillivrayMike McGillivray didn't grow up with a fixed home — he grew up with a fixed mindset. Born in Germany to a Canadian Air Force fighter pilot father, Mike moved over 30 times before adulthood, cycling through military bases, civilian schools, and international cities, never quite settling, always adapting. It's a childhood that most would describe as unsettling. Mike would call it his greatest education. That same adaptability carried him through a molecular biology degree at the University of Alberta, a pivot into pharmaceutical sales and private healthcare development during the Klein-era push for integrated care in Alberta, and then — almost by accident — into the world of niche finance.What started as an opportunity to finance pharmacy acquisitions became a 20-year career in cash flow lending, eventually landing him at Care Lending Group, where he serves as Director, helping financial advisory firms acrossCanada structure acquisitions, internal share purchases, and succession capital — the kind of specialised work the big banks largely don't do. Between two dots – “Really, the value is in that line: the journey.” "You can make a lot of trust deposits, but you can't make very many withdrawals." – Mike McGillivray   Episode Highlights: 00:00:00 – Introduction & Guest Overview00:01:35 – Growing Up Military: 30+ Moves, Germany & the Cold War Air Force Life00:07:02 – Adaptability, Identity & What Military Kids Are Made Of00:20:16 – From Molecular Biology to Business: The Pivot Out of the Lab00:22:44 – Pharma, Private Healthcare & Early Entrepreneurial Lessons00:27:38 – Discovering Finance: A Crash Course in Cash Flow Lending00:28:49 – Sponsor Ad Break00:31:04 – Navigating the 2008 Financial Crisis & Building at Cairn Lending Group00:46:19 – On Career, Serendipity & Blooming Where You're Planted00:55:04 – Outro & Call to Action   Connect with Mike:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcgillivraymike/ Care Lending Group: https://carelendinggroup.com   Sponsors of this episode: Bloom Benefits Group: www.bloombenefits.ca  Zelos Investment Counsel: www.zelosglobal.com  Airways Krown: www.krown.com   Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and the guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or affiliated companies.

  7. Jun 29

    179 - DJ Sanj - Producer Behind the First Billion-Stream Punjabi Song

    Between Two Dots PodcastEpisode 179 – DJ SanjDJ Sanj is one of the most influential producers in Punjabi and Bhangra music, with a career spanning over two decades and a legacy that's helped shape the global desi sound. But his story doesn't start in a studio — it starts with 28 moves across three countries, a dad who lost his job and opened an Italian restaurant in Texas, and a kid who got picked on for being brown in 1980s London, Ontario, and decided early on that he'd rather be feared than understood. DJ Sanj's edge isn't the accolades — it's the philosophy underneath them. He doesn't chase happiness ("the worst fuel you could have for motivating yourself"), and he's built his entire career on uncompromising principles and total self-accountability. That mindset carried him from sleeping on the streets and surviving on £500 a month in the UK to becoming a household name there in under three years — and decades later, to composing the official Winnipeg Jets anthem for South Asian Heritage Night, the first time the NHL has commissioned a Punjabi producer for a league event. He's also the producer behind "Dust Jar," the first Punjabi song tosurpass 1 billion global streams. Between two dots – “Really, the value is inthat line: the journey.” "I think we're all aging meat packetswith the same persona, unless you've done some rewiring." – DJ Sanj Episode Highlights: 00:00:00 – Introduction & Guest Overview00:01:33 – Growing Up Across 28 Moves: Family, Identity & an Angry Childhood00:14:00 – University, Philosophy & Discovering Music as a Bridge00:23:03 – Touring, Bootleg Tapes & Chasing the UK Dream00:27:31 – Homelessness, Principles & Refusing to Ask for Help00:31:27 – Sponsor Ad Break00:33:43 – Self-Awareness, Accountability & Rejecting "Happiness"00:54:12 – The Winnipeg Jets Anthem & Staying Quiet About Success00:58:28 – Returning to Music with AI & The DJ Sanj Podcast01:07:26 – Outro & Call to Action Connect with DJ Sanj:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djsanj1Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1kfqHPfj8yygKGMD3NrDE5YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3o93I1WQ3GHwMN7oIzeHbgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/DJSANJ1/ Sponsors of this episode: Bloom Benefits Group: www.bloombenefits.ca Zelos Investment Counsel: www.zelosglobal.com  Airways Krown: www.krown.com   Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and the guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or affiliated companies.

  8. Jun 22

    178 - Nelson Liem - Founder of Exmerce, Alberta's Largest Barter Exchange

    Between Two Dots PodcastEpisode 178 – Nelson Liem Nelson Liem built Alberta's largest business tradeexchange — and he did it from his townhouse in Arbor Lake, with his girlfriend at the time as his co-founder and zero idea where it would go. Born and raised in Calgary to a social-worker dad and a bank-teller mom, Nelson grew up thefamily connector, the one who brought people together long before he knew that instinct would become a business. A flunked actuarial midterm sent him into marketing, a recruiting booth at the University of Calgary sent him to WaltDisney World, and a string of unfulfilling corporate sales jobs eventually sent him somewhere nobody in his family had gone before: out on his own. What he landed on was strange enough that evenhis parents asked why. Inspired by eBay's golden era, Nelson stumbled into the decades-old barter industry and decided Calgary needed a third trade exchange. Twenty-one years, one mentor named Michael Carron, and 500-plus memberbusinesses later, that "why" turned into Exmerce — Alberta's largest barter network, with an Edmonton expansion and a global barter software platform now in the works. Between two dots – “Really, the value is inthat line: the journey.” "I think you're born with it — that fire inside of you, wanting to prove yourself and do something bigger." – Nelson Liem Episode Highlights: 00:00:00 – Introduction & Guest Overview00:01:10 – Growing Up Calgary: Family, Mahjong & a Connector's Instinct00:07:37 – From Actuary Dreams to Disney World00:09:47 – Corporate Burnout & the Pull Toward Entrepreneurship00:12:21 – Discovering the Barter Industry & Building Exmerce From Scratch00:27:21 – Sponsor Ad Break00:30:31 – Scaling to 500+ Members: How Barter Actually Works00:51:20 – On Entrepreneurship: Sacrifice, Mental Toughness & Building Community00:58:41 – Outro & Call to Action Connect with Nelson:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nelsonliem/Website: https://exmerce.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nelsonckliem/   Sponsors of this episode: Bloom Benefits Group: www.bloombenefits.ca  Zelos Investment Counsel: www.zelosglobal.com  Airways Krown: www.krown.com Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressedby the hosts and the guests do not necessarily reflect any agency, organization, or affiliated companies.

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About

The title "Between Two Dots" is meant to describe the time between when we are born and when we perish. Our hope is to share insights and learnings from our guests, who we are inspired by and who are living life on their terms - with purpose and impact as their North Star. Hosted by Hafiz Mitha and Gilbert Bong.

Information

  • Creator
    Between Two Dots
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    185
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Between Two Dots
  • Show Website
    Between Two Dots