Behind The Village Podcast

The Villager Magazine
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Life doesn’t come with a map and we’re on a journey to figure out what makes a life worth living. Behind The Village invites you to join a collective journey to understand how to live with intention and joy. Together, we learn, unlearn, and reimagine: from mental health to work-life balance, relationships to creativity. Welcoming, real, and full of discovery - join us as we chase honest answers and build a happier life, one conversation at a time.

  1. 5d ago

    Caregiver Burnout and the Break Nobody Takes | Carolyn Harris, LaToya Hillson & Terri Gortnar

    Terri Gortnar was told her three year old daughter wouldn't see her tenth birthday. Six weeks later, she found out her son had the same disease. This episode is about what happens to the person doing the caring. Terri is a mom of two children with CLN2 Batten disease and the co-founder of the Canadian CLN2 Foundation. She's joined by Carolyn Harris, Respite Coordinator at Empower Simcoe, and LaToya Hillson, a Certified Child Life Specialist on the Paediatric Advanced Care Team at SickKids. Together they get into the parts of caregiving nobody warns you about. The paperwork. The career you quietly grieve. The friends who stop calling because they don't know what to say. We also talk about the thing most caregivers won't say out loud, which is that they need a break and feel guilty for wanting one. Carolyn says caregiver guilt is the single biggest reason families don't access respite care. Terri had to learn that letting a nurse into her home didn't make her less of a mother. Right now 1 in 4 Canadians is a caregiver, and that number is on track to become 1 in 2. If it isn't you yet, it's someone you love. Carolyn Harris - Empower Simcoe Website: https://www.empowersimcoe.ca/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empower_simcoe/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmpowerSimcoe/ LaToya Hillson - SickKids Website: https://www.sickkids.ca/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sickkidstoronto/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sickkidsfoundation Terri Gortnar - Canadian CLN2 Foundation Website: https://canadiancln2.org/ Cure for Claire: https://cureforclaire.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cureforclaire/ Follow Us Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/ Chapters 00:00 Intro 03:24 Diagnosis Day and a Rare Disease 09:24 Losing Your Career and Your Identity 18:22 Anticipatory Grief and Caregiver Burnout 29:18 What Respite Care Actually Looks Like 45:59 The Silence After Loss 54:34 How to Actually Support a Caregiver Hey! We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode, send us a voice note.

    Caregiver Burnout and the Break Nobody Takes | Carolyn Harris, LaToya Hillson & Terri Gortnar

  2. Oct 8

    The Horror Movie Formula That Explains Our Fear of Death | Lauren Andrew

    Lauren Andrew looked up how horror writers build fear, then realized the exact same formula explains why we're so afraid of dying. This is Lauren's second time on the show. Last time we got into AWAKE and the work she and Amanda Kelly are doing on sustainable cremation. This one goes somewhere more personal. We talk about the difference between fear of the unknown and what she now calls an intolerance of uncertainty, and why the people most afraid of death are almost always the ones who've had the least contact with it. She also tells the story of being seven or eight years old at her grandfather's open casket, incense burning, nobody explaining anything to her. And what happened a year later when her little sister buried her hamster in a bedazzled shoebox and got it completely right. If you've ever wondered what a death cafe is, why green burial is growing, or how to bring this up with your parents without it being weird, this one's for you. AWAKE Ashes Website: https://www.awakeashes.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awake.ashes Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awakecanada LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/awakecanada YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@awakecanada Who are we Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment. Follow Us Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/ Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:41 Fear, uncertainty, and the formula behind both 08:42 Green burial and what changes when people show up 12:08 What a death cafe actually is 17:10 Her grandfather's funeral and what kids understand about death 23:47 Grief as a rock in your pocket 27:26 Preparing before you need to Hey! We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode, send us a voice note.

    The Horror Movie Formula That Explains Our Fear of Death | Lauren Andrew

  3. Sep 24

    How to Show Up for Someone Grieving | Carol Richardson & Terri Gortnar

    Most of us freeze when someone close to us is grieving. Carol and Terri know what actually helps, because they've lived it from both sides. Carol Richardson retired from a corporate career in enterprise software to pursue her passion for flowers. Terri Gortnar was working in project management alongside Carol when both of her children were diagnosed with CLN2 Batten disease, a rare terminal illness. Together they founded Compass Rose Floral Design, to help people create a lifetime of memories through unique floral arrangements. We get into anticipatory grief and what it's like to mourn someone while they're still here. Why the flowers at most funerals were chosen for a reason that stopped existing a century ago. And the thing Terri wishes more people understood, which is that "let me know if you need anything" puts the work on the wrong person. Compass Rose Floral Design Website: https://compassrosefloraldesign.ca/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/compass_rose_floral/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Compass-Rose-Floral-Design-100092233083534/ Who are we Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment. Follow Us Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/ Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:35 Fifteen Years of Friendship 04:12 A Terminal Diagnosis and Anticipatory Grief 10:20 Leaving Corporate to Build Compass Rose 17:25 Designing a Funeral for a Child 23:29 The History Behind Funeral Flowers 30:41 How to Show Up for Someone Grieving Hey! We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode, send us a voice note.

    How to Show Up for Someone Grieving | Carol Richardson & Terri Gortnar

  4. Sep 10

    Why We Don't Talk About Death | Lauren Andrew, Terri Gortnar & Carol Richardson

    Terri Gortnar knew her daughter's timeline for years. She fought to bring treatment to Canada, arranged hospice care at home, and stayed ahead of every piece of equipment and every next stage of the disease. Then Claire died, and Terri walked into a funeral home for the first time with no idea what she was supposed to do. That gap is what this whole conversation is about. We sat down with three women who work in deathcare and grief every day: Lauren Andrew, co-founder of AWAKE, Terri Gortnar of the Canadian CLN2 Foundation, and Carol Richardson of Compass Rose Floral Design. We talk about why our culture throws parties for birth and goes silent about death, leading us to know very little about the many options out there that may make someone's end of life a little bit less stressful. This is episode one of our Behind The Village Podcast season on death, grief and end of life care. Lauren Andrew - AWAKE Website: https://www.awakeashes.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awake.ashes/ AWAKE Ceremony: https://www.instagram.com/awake.ceremony/ Terri Gortnar - Canadian CLN2 Foundation Website: https://canadiancln2.org/ Cure for Claire: https://cureforclaire.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cureforclaire/ Carol Richardson - Compass Rose Floral Design Website: https://compassrosefloraldesign.ca/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/compass_rose_floral/ Who are we Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment. Follow Us Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/ Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:16 How They Ended Up Working in Deathcare 09:50 Fear of the Unknown and the Silence Around Grief 18:26 Terri's Story: Prepared for Everything but This 24:22 How to Pre-plan and Start the Conversation 34:20 What They Each Want for Their Own Send-Off 45:33 Grief at School, at Work, and at Home Hey! We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode, send us a voice note.

    Why We Don't Talk About Death | Lauren Andrew, Terri Gortnar & Carol Richardson

  5. Jun 25

    How a Ripple of Kindness Becomes a $300,000 Wave | Ashley Lehmann & Amber McGarvey-Moreland

    Two hundred dollars feels small. A hundred women giving two hundred dollars at once turns into something else entirely. That's the idea behind Ripple of Kindness Orillia, the women's giving circle Ashley Lehmann and Amber McGarvey-Moreland co-direct. In this conversation they talk about how a simple act of kindness, pooled together and repeated, has sent more than $300,000 to local charities. We get into what kindness actually means to them, why Amber brought a chapter home to Orillia, and the moments that have stayed with them. The very first donation funded a palliative care bed at Mariposa House Hospice. The Salvation Army gift brought one of them full circle, back to the Christmas hampers her own family once relied on. It's a conversation about how giving can reshape a community, and how the small things really do add up. Ripple of Kindness Orillia Website: https://rippleofkindness.ca/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rippleofkindnessorillia/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Ripple-Of-Kindness-Orillia-100070948456356/ Who are we Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment. Follow Us Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/ Chapters 0:00 Intro 2:20 What Kindness and Philanthropy Mean to Them 5:26 A Community of Women, Ages 18 to 90 8:44 The Hospice Bed Their First Gift Built 11:58 Full Circle With the Salvation Army 13:54 How to Join the Giving Circle 17:24 A Thank You to Every Member Hey! We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode, send us a voice note.

    How a Ripple of Kindness Becomes a $300,000 Wave | Ashley Lehmann & Amber McGarvey-Moreland

  6. May 28

    Preserving Veteran Stories Across 17 Countries | Zach Dunn

    Zach Dunn has interviewed over 165 veterans from 17 allied countries, and he does it all with an iPhone, a $30 tripod, and a $10 mic. It started when he found his grandfather's war medals in a box in his parents' basement. Now it's a race against time. In this episode, Zach talks about what it takes to preserve the stories of WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans before they're gone. He shares how some veterans carried their experiences in silence for 50 to 80 years before opening up for the first time. He talks about the healing that happens when someone finally asks. And he makes a case for something simple but powerful: be curious, ask questions, and listen well. You never know what story is waiting to be told. Zach Dunn / Global Veteran Stories Website: https://www.rememberingcanadasveterans.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GlobalVeteranStories TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ww2veteraninterviews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Global-Veteran-Stories-by-Zach-Dunn/61568304669684/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/globalveteranstoriesbyzachdunn/ Who are we Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment. Follow Us Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/ Chapters 00:29 How a box of medals started everything 03:51 Why so many veteran stories go untold 06:27 Finding veterans across the world 10:42 A one-man documentary setup 12:41 The emotional weight of these conversations 17:29 What gets lost when stories aren't shared Hey! We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode, send us a voice note.

    Preserving Veteran Stories Across 17 Countries | Zach Dunn

  7. May 14

    40 Years of Hunting Rare Comic Books and Collectibles | Carmine De Santo

    Carmine De Santo bought his first comic book in 1978. By 16, he'd opened his own shop. Four decades later, he's still in the game, running Dr. Comics in Orillia and organizing comic cons across North America. In this conversation, Carmine walks us through the world of rare comics and collectibles. He talks about buying a Batman #1 at 18 and selling it for $90,000 (it's now worth $3.5 million), why the collectibles market exploded after the pandemic, and what it was like losing $850,000 worth of inventory in a fire that destroyed his downtown Orillia shop. He also shares the story of the Tim Maple collection, one of the most fascinating pieces of comic book history you've probably never heard of. Whether you're deep into collecting or just curious about where to start, this one's worth your time. Dr. Comics Website: https://www.drcomics.ca/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1drcomics/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcomics/ Who are we Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment. Follow Us Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/ Chapters 0:00 How Carmine fell in love with comic books 2:48 Rare finds and million-dollar regrets 4:09 Why the collectibles market is booming 7:33 Losing everything in a fire 11:18 The legendary Tim Maple collection 13:17 How to start collecting 17:19 Comic cons, anime fests, and what's trending Hey! We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode, send us a voice note.

    40 Years of Hunting Rare Comic Books and Collectibles | Carmine De Santo

  8. Apr 30

    Leaving a Disney Show to Teach Kids How to Draw | Brad Ferguson

    Brad Ferguson spent years building an animation career most people would never walk away from. Emmy-winning shows. Directing for Disney. Showrunning over 180 episodes of animated television. Then he quit to teach kids how to draw in Barrie, Ontario. In this conversation, Brad talks about getting rejected from Sheridan College twice before getting in on his third try, what it actually takes to work in animation, and why he believes anyone can learn to draw. He gets honest about the perfectionism he sees in young artists growing up on social media, why embracing mistakes is the whole point of the creative process, and how his childhood in the middle of nowhere shaped everything he makes today. He also shares how Upchuckle Education's student sponsorship program is making creative learning accessible to families in the community who wouldn't otherwise have access to it. Brad Ferguson | Upchuckle Education Website: https://upchuckle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UpchuckleEducation/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upchuckleeducation/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@upchuckle.education Who are we Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment. Follow Us Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/ Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:30 From aspiring actor to animator 4:40 Leaving animation for teaching 9:05 The creative process and embracing mistakes 17:43 How animation actually works 23:28 Getting started with animation 30:04 Giving back to the community Hey! We would love to hear your thoughts on this episode, send us a voice note.

    Leaving a Disney Show to Teach Kids How to Draw | Brad Ferguson
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About

Life doesn’t come with a map and we’re on a journey to figure out what makes a life worth living. Behind The Village invites you to join a collective journey to understand how to live with intention and joy. Together, we learn, unlearn, and reimagine: from mental health to work-life balance, relationships to creativity. Welcoming, real, and full of discovery - join us as we chase honest answers and build a happier life, one conversation at a time.

Information

  • Creator
    The Villager Magazine
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    66
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Villager Magazine
  • Show Website
    Behind The Village Podcast