Shaun Newman Podcast - #423 - Nicole Murphy 2.0

Episode Date: May 3, 2023

She has a decade of experience in the media world & runs East Anchor Media. She is the host of the Nicole Murphy Podcast, organizes events that build community, & is educating on media literacy. SNP Promo Video: https://rumble.com/v2la6tw-snp-time-to-get-to-work.html Creator grant - https://www.eastanchormedia.com/thriving-over-surviving-fund  Sarah MYM event - http://show.ps/l/84cfdbaf/ SNP Presents: Luongo & Krainer https://www.showpass.com/snp-presents-luongo-krainer/ Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/shaunnewmanpodcast Let me know what you thinkText me 587-217-8500

This is Vance Crow. I'm Alex Kraner. My name is David John Parker. This is Alex Epstein. This is Leighton Gray, and you're listening to the Sean Newman podcast. Welcome to the podcast, folks. Happy Wednesday, hump day, big game for the Emmons and Oilers tonight. Giddy up.

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and now I've pretty much met their entire family, or it feels like I have, which is pretty cool. Irma, going to be there for a celebrity golf tournament here in, I think it's July. and if you want to team up like the Erickson's have with the SMP, just reach out via the text line and the show notes. There's still options on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays.

And I might add that the Thursday Brothers Roundtables that have been rolling here for playoffs, we could also use a head spot or a lead sponsor, a major sponsor, what am I looking for here, folks? For that stint of two and a half months, we'll love to talk about whatever company or family is interesting. in supporting not only the podcast, but some of the different shows that go on it as well. Finally, the SMP Presents is going to be the new one, Luongo and Craneer.

I'm talking about Tom Longo, Alex Craneer, is in Lloyd, June 10th. In the show notes, there's a link. That's the next show coming to Lloyd Minster. I think that night is going to be a ton of fun. You can get your tickets. All you got to do is go to ShowPass the link there, book your tickets, and look forward to seeing all of you folks. at the Gold Horse Casino for the next SMP Presents.

I think that's going to be a ton of fun, and I hope to see all of you there. Now, let's get on a til-tape brought to you by Hancock Petroleum for the past 80 years. They've been an industry leader in bulkfields, lubricants, methadone chemicals, delivering to your farm commercial or oilfield locations. For more information, visit them at Hancock, Petroleum.ca. She has a decade of experience in the media world and runs East Anchor Media. She is the host of the Nicole Murphy podcast,

organizes events that build community and is educating on media literacy. I'm talking about Nicole Murphy. So buckle up, here we go. This is Nicole Murphy, and you're listening to the Sean Newman podcast. Well, welcome to the Sean Newman podcast. Today, I'm joined by Nicole Murphy. So thanks for hopping on, man. Yeah, thanks for having me again.

I figured it was me and you got talking about this grant and a couple different things, which I will get to let you get into. And I'm like, why aren't we talking about this? I hadn't heard anything about it. That doesn't mean a whole lot. Sean, as everyone knows, isn't this. He kind of lives under a rock from time to time. So for me not to know about it isn't a big deal.

But I thought, oh, geez, you might as have come on. And that way, if there's some people listening that it hits, that want to hear more about it, that'd be, you know, really beneficial. Either way, we'll get into that. For people who haven't listened to Nicole or before, 378. So it was January 27th the last time you're on, which I guess was a long time ago, but it doesn't feel like that long ago, does it? it's one of those things it feels like five years ago and two days ago.

I feel like that's a lot of what's happened in the last few years. Because when you think about it, I'm like, well, that's when we started talking. But I feel like we've been friends for much longer. Like in this, in this, you know, freedom community, you meet people. And you're like, oh, yeah, Sean and I've worked together for years. And you're like, oh, like three months. We've known each other. And for the, I'll rewind the clock for the listener.

I put a post out. I put a post out every year right around, I think Christmas. I think is when I normally do it. In between Christmas Boxing, or not Boxing Day, Christmas and New Year's Eve. And I'm just asking like, okay, who would you like to see in the next year? And I think the team of Nicole Murphy got together and said, let's hammer them because it was like 15 in a row Nicole Murphy and not Eddie Murphy's ex-wife. Anyways, and then you come on and you kind of, you know, at that time, as we were talking about before,

we were talking about set up for sovereignty. And, well, I got to come participate in it. I got to lead a couple different groups, have a little bit of a chat. What did you think of your overall day or if you even want to give some of the background, Nicole, it's probably not a bad thing. Yeah, set up for sovereignty. It was an interesting event because it was a brainchild of myself and Meg Garlands. And we were like, okay, we want to have like this community event, but we want people doing activities and classes together.

And we want, you know, speakers. And then we want really good food. And then we want a pop-up shop. And Shauna Bannerman came on to create this amazing shop where it was not, necessarily people who, let's say, weren't vaccinated. That wasn't our standard. It was just people who wanted people to be able to choose. So we sold $17,000 in that pop-up shop in that one day with 200 guests. Yeah, and not even one day because it was what, like 9 a.m. to like, well, I guess a business day, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., right? Because it wasn't like at night people were running in there

and everything else. No. And so we came up with this brainchild. Sean was like so awesome. He did some men's group speaking. He did, we chat on stage in front of everybody. We did some talking about media. So it was a really fun event. And what you said, Sean, that really stuck with me from that event is you were like, usually at these events, you're having like a lot of surface conversation. But at this one, you're like, you were having in-depth conversations about, you know,

the meaning of life, disagreeing with people, but hearing their perspective and like hour-long conversations. So that was so cool to hear. I didn't enter into, I think I got into one group for like the day. Because for the listener, if you went, you got like a schedule built. You can pick a bunch of different things, right? And so you kind of bounced around from different workshops. And Sean did what Sean does.

And he sat on a chair and had coffee and talked to probably like seven different people throughout the day. And at one point, I'm like, I should probably like get up and go do something. And then somebody else would sit down and you start talking like, ah, or you just saddle up and away we go again. It was an interesting thing. And I, what I, you know, hats off to you. And to anyone who's thinking of putting on an event, you know, here is this old gymnasium that, like, I'm trying to paint a picture for the listener. Like, think of like your old, like, would that be a 1970s gymnasium, right?

Like, it had a cool feel to it. Don't get me wrong. But at the same time you walk in and it was like, it was dated. You're like, hmm, I wonder how they're going to do this. this okay they're gonna set chairs up here and I mean by the end of the day it it was a great little you know I call them origin stories right like I don't know do you have another set up for sovereignty happening am I putting you on the spot by by asking that have you even thought that far down the road we've definitely thought that far down the road and we wanted to do we wanted to do like

events every second month right but then of course well we'll get on an event and that's that's and there's other events. So this one was very specifically like about, it was really about, even though we had people from Saskatchewan, we had people from Ontario, we had people from BC. We really did. Oh, Ontario. Ontario, yeah. Some of our speakers were from Ontario. Manitoba, I'm not too sure. Anyway, we had people coming, but it was really had this like Alberta vibe. It did. It had this like community homesteading vibe, which I love. And also I love media. And so, I mean, we'll touch on what we put together too before the SMP presents in March. Oh yeah. I hadn't even thought of that. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So I'm very passionate. We're very passionate about these kind of like

homesteady community events. And so there's some other ones in the works. We're thinking something like set up sovereignty where you have like the educational component. You have the food component. You have It was almost like we said, it was almost like a wedding, a market, and a conference all in one, which I think is crazy to do. But that's, that is what it is. It was, I think lots of people, you know, we went for so long, not getting together where it was okay to get together, I should say. Because, I mean, as people know, at our, we just had for the, for the kids' sake with Tamara Leach and Lloyd. And that was a group that got together all through COVID. But, you know, it was nice to be in a setting like that where, I don't know, the ability to go learn new skills was certainly there.

But just some of the, I'm all for unique stories. And I feel like probably 99.9% of the people who showed up there, the reason why you could just hop into an hour-long conversation is everybody who walked through the door, if you sat and gave them two minutes, you're like, oh, man, this person has some serious, and you're doing what? is like I probably have a list of, I just wrote it back down again. I'm like, I've been mean to have Mag on the show for like quite some time. And somehow I've been interviewed by her

and I haven't repaid the favor. And I'm like, Sean, put it down on your thing. Because I'm like, after we walked away from her, you probably should just interview Meg Garland. Right? Like, anyways.

So Mag, if you're listening, we'll chat and we'll get you on because I'm sure that that'll be an interesting chat as well. But her entire group, your entire group, everybody that was there, I don't know if there was one,

story and it ranged from I don't know Nicole you could tell me what I don't know what the youngest person was I'm gonna say 20 and I'm gonna say the oldest person there was probably like 65 I don't know if that's right I don't want to date anyone but I'm like and if you sat and talk to any of them you're like this is interesting like I mean holy dinah look at the stories and the different perspectives and lifestyles and everything else all meshing together under one room and I come back to any event because I'm always you know me I I I like to just stare at

somebody else's event and kind of like, hmm, that's interesting, right? And to put it in an old gymnasium, I was, when I first walked in, first impression, I was just like, well, this is going to be interesting, right? I'm thinking of sound. I'm thinking of everything. And during the day, it was awesome. The hustle and bustle of it, well, I told you then, I'll tell you again on live air, hats off to you, because if you didn't make it to set up for sovereignty, when the next one gets released, I think it was well worth the time and money to go to. That was my thoughts. anyways. Yeah, and we're going to have, the next one will be even better. The biggest issue in that space was sound. So we were going to smooth that out. But as you said, like, my stepmom said,

she walked into the space when it was set up and she had sought as a gym and then like went in, she was baking sourdough bread for the next day. And she said she walked in and she was just like hit with like the energy of love. And that really is what shone through. And when you say that Everyone has interesting stories. I just want to say, I think every human being has interesting stories. But when you've gone through what we've gone through over the last few years, you become way more open-hearted, way more vulnerable. So you're walking into a room of people who want intimacy, connection,

and to share their stories and hear your story. And I think that's what was so beautiful. It was the open-heartedness. And that's probably what people were feeling in this old gymnasium that we were like, we're doing it. Let's set this up. And to be fair, Shauna Bannerman, who's the co-owner of East Anchor Media and a good friend of mine, we've ran student teams together for years. She has such an eye, and she knows how to make spaces so beautiful that, I mean, yeah,

the transformation was really cool. Let's talk about East Anchor Media. I don't know if the last time we chatted, if it was like a fully, and I don't mean this is a knock on anyone. I just as a general thought, I don't know if it was a fully thought out idea yet, or maybe not even fully thought out, maybe it wasn't fully in the works. I'm trying to find the right words to just say

that I don't think it was fully operational. Since then, it's certainly been moving along. But for the person who does, first time they're hearing, East Anchor Media, give us a little bit about it. Yeah, for sure. You sang her media and events. So it was, again, I find these things so funny.

It was being birthed at the same time as set up for sovereignty. So there's like two-fold things happening here. And what it is, it's a media literacy and events company. Now, for those who don't know, my background is in documentary film. So I received actually a $100,000 grant in 2017 to create a web series called Heroic about female athletes. And I had an amazing team. We worked together, so it wasn't me, but I'm just saying I was leading up that project.

And I had to incorporate. So I incorporated back then, got a job working at Nate, which is a post-secondary college in 2017 as well. This seems to happen where opportunities kind of clumped together for me. And so the East Anchor Incorporation kind of sat after this big project for a couple. couple years just like creating dust or whatever accumulating dust and then I was like hey let's blow this off let's take what we learned at Nate which was running a school media team doing media literacy bringing in journalists bringing in educators to teach journalism and let's

just do that out of the system so we're doing that but we also are helping people like sarah swain who's amazing she's doing the mym conference in canaanascus with a bunch of speakers like a business fun freedom conference in September. And so East Anchor is helping with that, an event plan. We're doing a pop-up shop and we are doing a newspaper as well, which is what we had at Set up for Sovereignty. For anyone, let's just specifically on Sarah, because obviously she's been against the show as well.

There's still tickets left? If so, is there a way they can go get them? Because that's probably good information to toss out as well. Yeah, 100%. I will give you my affiliate code to... Are you affiliate? No. I don't think so.

No, no. So I'll give you my affiliate code. There's tickets left for sure. There's going to fast, though. They are. I tell you what you're going to do. After we finish this, you're going to text me the information for the listener in the show notes.

That way I'm trying to peel all the information off of Nicole right now so you can... And I'm like, why I do that? We'll put it in the show notes so you can click on it. And if you're interested to go find out at least some more information, on Sarah's upcoming event, you can, and all that good stuff. You know, one of the things me and you were talking about, I think it was at the S&P Presents in Eminton was, you know, like we really need some form of a calendar,

just so people can like, and I talked, I got, you've had them on Glenn Young, Glenn Young, Jung. It's Jung. It's, wait, sorry, hold on, it's not young, because he's like, it's junk, it's junk. Okay. And I'm talking about. Bright Light News.

I've seen he, I believe he's maybe done one. Anyways, it doesn't matter folks. He's doing events too and they look like Byron Bridal, like really good. Rodney, Paul Palmer, Rodney, the guy who spoke about media and worked in media for years and years. Rodney. Anyway.

Yeah, anyways. What I'm getting at was, you know, like, and Bright Lights, I think, and I apologize, Glenn, if I'm wrong on this, because he's coming on here, folks, and I believe it's two weeks. It was supposed, anyways, it's a long story. In two weeks, you'll hear all about it. From what I see, it's all out east.

I could be wrong on that. And so I look at Alberta, Saskatchewan, where me and Nicole are situated, and it'd be fun to just have a schedule built where if you're putting on, and I don't know, is it an independent event, is just an event? I don't know what it is. If it was on there, that'd be great, because, I mean, like, Canadians for truth. I just found this out. Obviously, they had Tamara Leach in Medicine Hat and Calgary.

twice and the next one they're doing which I find very interesting because I am a fan is Shadow Davis and I'm like really I don't know why that surprised me it's like I kind of think shadows almost like and I apologize Shadow if you listen to this I almost feel like you're you're a bit of an unknown and yet I know that's not true because I've had so many people tell me they listen to Shadow religiously and I'm like I don't know why it surprised me but I'm like ooh kind of kind of interested to go see that one because I'm curious what I was going to say. I'm a big fan.

Anyways, if there was a calendar, back to the calendar idea, you know, when Sarah's got an event or Canaanians for Truth or Sean Newman or... Cape Carson. Right. It goes on and on and on and on. You stanker. Yeah, and also, sorry to cut you off. That reminds me, I really want to interview Shadow Davis, so I can talk to you after.

Oh, yeah. We can look that up. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, when we did our... So if you were at the event,

in Eminton. I'm really bouncing here, folks. But if you're at the event in Emmington or listen to it live streamed, you would have heard us talk about Friday night and how Friday night was such an interesting. This is my first introduction to East Anchor Media. Of course, I've known you Nicole

for a month before that. I was about to say a year before that. It's like, I don't know. But what we did on the Friday night is we brought in all these independent media, you know, I don't know, just there was what, 35 of us roughly. Yeah, and there was a mixture of obviously they were like podcasters, journalists,

like independent journalists, events organizers, because we actually thought that you, you thought of this and I thought this is brilliant. People who are cultivating communications and information in their communities with big events. Yeah, it was, it was amazing. Yeah, so the idea was speed dating. I don't know who threw that out, but at the end of the day, I wish I could go back and record a couple of our meetings leading up to that. that, you know, just to pull out a couple clips. But the idea was generally, let's get people together and I have no idea what's going to happen, but at least they get to meet and greet and see what comes of it. And it was a huge hit, you know, to the point where I got

the next S&P Presents coming up, that's Longo and Craneer on June 10th. I feel like I'm just reading off ads right now. I promise I'm not. Here in Lloyd Minster again, and I was saying, Nicole, do we do, do we do that again? You know, do we try and put on another Friday night where try and, you know, reach out to all these different people to come to the edge of the universe, as Daniel Smith once told me, I'm kidding. But Lloyd Minster, you know, it's kind of no man's land. It's on the edge of both provinces. But to try and do that, what's your thoughts on that?

I think it's a great idea. Mine as well. Like, again, getting these going, we're going to have different people coming and going within these events. And that's what going back to when you're asking me, like, do you have other stuff going on? Yes. We do have other set up for sovereignty stuff over. and we'll talk about later

like the grant we have bundles but I'm so passionate about media and I just didn't interview with Wayne Peters and he said I don't want to misquote but the long story short he said that I think he said that he thought that was the Friday night was like one of the most important

experiences in the whole weekend I think he was referencing actually one of the most important gatherings in like Canadian history or something Like, not that, but you know what I'm saying? He really, I'll find the clip. I'm battling.

He, he, he, he, he, he, uh, one of the things me and him talked a lot about is the legitimateization. Can I spit that word out this morning? Legitimization of the independent media. Yeah. Some people just, you know, like if you're, I don't know. There's so many of a citizen journalist, right, that don't come from having a ton of education in, in media.

Some people are like, that's a great. thing ever you don't want that sure there's so many people who just pop on a you know a tic-tok social media account like Instagram Twitter handle you know like I have this guy named twos who comes on once a week right and where did that come from a Twitter handle right or Marty up north was there Twitter again right and and although he has a little bit of YouTube as well and Wayne what he was talking about was like we're not legitimate yet and I believe what he me and him and talked about during that time was he's like you with the help of East

Anchor with the help of twos right the the group of us got together around an SMP presents event and just put together an idea to bring independent media together just to get let them meet and I think of what he was so happy about was up until that point there hasn't been anything that's been trying to do that at least that we know about or I've been invited to and probably Nicole's been invited to and it stemmed not just to the the TikTok or the Twitter, the Instagram, the podcast, or the independent journalist. It's stemmed into, you know,

because Shane Stafford, I'll give him a little bit of a shot here. He's a guy from Wainwright. And they're a group there that have just become another concerned citizens group. And they're like, I don't know what the heck I'm doing here. And I'm going, well, to me, your boots on the ground. I mean, like, you need to meet all these different speakers so they can come through your community

in a different way than what a podcast does that an Instagram handle does, that a Twitter person talks, because it's just another piece. All these pieces make up a puzzle, I guess. And I think that's what Wayne was so impressed with. And it's funny because I can, I was like, yeah, sure. I'm like, I still don't know what we're doing here. I'm like, you know, I'm just an amazement.

I joke about Boulevard of Broken Dreams, the painting. But to me, sitting my first group I sat with was Tamara Leach sitting with Shane Gadsden and myself. And I'm like, this is like, I just, just flick record and see what it comes. But those two had never met before. And so for me, it was like all these different relationships starting to play out one by one by one. And of course, you got your own purview of that as well. Yeah, it was like, I won't lie.

I have had the like vision of a speed dating style type of thing for a while. So I want to just thank you, Sean, because we were all kind of, I don't think I'm the only one who got that download. but it was like it came to the surface and I love curating conversation round tables like I love it I love speaking as well we know that you love speaking as well but I love like it went better than I thought it could have because we kind of threw people together so for people who weren't there we had like a schedule we did 15 minute increments for an hour and a half where we had random people at different tables between two and fourish people usually and they talked we gave them questions to explore if they wanted to and some people people did and some people just got into these conversations and again we're dealing with people who are love story want to talk open-hearted and so these conversations just flowed and it was really cool so we putting out the challenge right now to ourselves that the Friday June 9th we do it again yeah let's do it except we're gonna have to move because we were gonna do something on June 8th that I think we

should move then I got I got I got a I got a barn loft that would be perfect for the, I'm throwing that at Dustin right now. So dust, if you're listening, I'm a comment. I think that would be a great little unique spot for it. Anyways, I mean, like Tom, Tom's coming from Florida for people who are unaware, and Tom is sharp as attack, and Alex is coming all the way from, I believe it's Morocco. He's flying out of France, right? So it'll be not a once in a lifetime for any media type to meet with them.

But, I mean, at the same time, I'm not sure Tom and Alex have ever met. So it's like it might be a once in a lifetime opportunity to get back together. And being on the border, you know, somebody was saying. Lum Who and Alex Who? I haven't looked at your event yet. Oh. Tom Luongo, Alex Kraner. They're two guys who have, they're my most popular downloaded episode. They've come on five times together each once individually.

And they come on and talk about while they began with the war on Ukraine, banking, geopolitics. It should be, I think, an electric night because when they get together, you can go listen to the listener. They probably listen to these. But to Nicole, to anyone who hasn't listened to these, Sean literally presses play, maybe ask one question

and then just sits there for two hours and lets them go back and forth and at times they'll make fun of me and go, okay, Sean, now we're going to explain it in terms that you can understand. Because they talk at this high-level investment, but like it just hurts your brain almost. but they're so open about, you know, the war on Ukraine, what's going on with the banking system,

U.S. politics, conspiracies, they find a way to mesh it all in together that you're just like, I could probably sit here for another two hours, but, you know, they got busy schedules and everything else. And so to get them on stage together at an SMP presents should be, if nothing else, electric. If nothing else, it's electric. I love it. I think electric. But regardless, on the Friday night, okay, well, I've just said it on live air. So we'll see if, yeah, we got to do it. Yeah, I'm trying to, the ladies, the beautiful team, Dianna and Sean are coming over literally after we do this podcast.

I feel like I'm having a business meeting with the call right now. I'm here to either way, you're making, you're making me have to do things and I'm like, okay. Yeah, we could probably do that. There you go. we'll try and put it together for anyone who's listening to this that has got their background in media influencer etc etc etc we'll try and put one of those back together for june the ninth in lloyd minster before the smp presents on june 10th yeah done we're going to do it this is the cool thing about uh like the friendships and people that we work with now is we really push each other and it's like

it feels like we're on the edge and it's like okay but do i really and then it's like well what's important what's the vision and we're we were in that room, we know this is where the change really happens, is bringing people together to have these conversations. When we and twos were talking more, and he's like, it wasn't that long ago. I'm like, I understand.

He's like, we should probably wait. I'm like, all right. I'm banging on twos here for a second. And I'm like, but think about it. What happens if this time a guy like Shadow Davis makes it out? Right? And I'm like, or Aaron Gunn comes, or I mean, like there's a host of people, folks

that weren't at the first one, you know, that can make it this. time. I'm like, how much fun would that be? And he's like, well, a lot of fun. I'm like, a lot of fun. Yeah. And like, can we just like if it's happening anyway, I don't think there's anything wrong with making it like a flow. Like people don't have to come to every single one like you're saying. This is whoever's meant to be there will be there. The connections will happen. We're having we're having a conversation I think with Mel this week. We met at that event. So like it's, yeah. And I interviewed Wayne Peters and there's other stuff. Oh, I interviewed Nick as well.

Nick. So yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, we got to in between here and there. Did you know that me and twos are going to do Alberta election coverage? Um, yes, two's told me and I usually don't give a fuck about that stuff and I'm like, okay, this is interesting. So, so one of the things we're going to try and do, you know, and now that it's May, well, as we record this May 1st, when it's released, it'll be May 3rd. Uh, one of the things we're going to do. is we've got Nick Fondubbs. And if you don't know who I'm talking about,

just wait until May 29th. But we have got him okayed to be at either inside or outside NDP headquarters being live on location for us. And he's like, oh, this will be, this will be fun. I'm like, can you imagine? I want you to wear the Canadian tuxedo with your hair and whatever flowing and everything else.

And I just, you don't have to do anything else. then just walk around, tell us what's going on, what the vibes like. And if they won't let you in the building, you know, just interview some people out on the street and we'll see if anybody even cares about the election or whatnot. And I'm like, this is going to be, like me and two, I'm like, this is going to be, I'm like excited to have a little bit fun. That's May 29. Like that's coming fast.

Like, where did May come from? All of a sudden, May's here. It's sunny outside. And you're like, it's time to go. So in between here and there. It's going to be 26 to 28 this whole week in Emmington. I was like, what? We went from like, I'm wearing a sweater to like...

Welcome to Canada. Let's talk about... I've been all over the place. May 29th, though, election coverage. I didn't think we'd do that. Somehow me and Tuesday got talking about it. It spawned this idea that I think is going to be a ton of fun. So if you do not care about media election coverage,

tune in to us because I think we're going to have a little bit of fun. And if you do care, still tune in us because it ain't going to suck. Let's talk about your grant. That's why I wanted to get you on. It's a time-sensitive thing. And I think you've got to explain the idea to me and to the listener and all that good stuff. Okay. Okay, I love this.

So it kind of goes back. I'm glad we started with Set Up for Sovereignty. So we created this like online bundle from that where people could buy for a really good price, a bunch of memberships to people's communities, courses, downloads, things like that. And we said we're going to give 10% of the bundle cells to a Thrived. over surviving give back fund. This give back fund is a brainchild of myself and Shauna's. And again, it's hard to, it's hard to, I think this is the coolest thing about dreams and if I can be so bold like destiny, like the desires of your heart that have been

placed there for you to step into in this life is people have the same ones and they come together and then they can create together. So it's hard to say like, who had the idea first? It's like, oh, you wanted to help people over here. I want to help people over here. Okay, let's do this. Anyway, I'm being long-winded. That's all right.

Sean, that's my ammo. Yeah. So we wanted to create a space to give financial backing to artists, content creators, musicians, entrepreneurs. Because if we get really serious about what happened in the last few years, like they were using the economy. They weaponized livelihoods. So we need to learn how to make my new economy.

Like it's actually seems that simple to me. But I get that that has its blocks and people don't necessarily think it's simple. I think it's a lot more simple than people think, though. For example, with this grant. So we have the first one kicking off because we made enough money in that bundle sales and East Anchor gives to it as well. It's like our charity to do a $2,000 Canadian kickoff grant. If you're an entrepreneur, if you want to, you know, you want to create a,

content whether that start a podcast whether it's a documentary if you're um an entrepreneur or a business owner that has services or products so that's like farmers market like the market that we had there anybody who's making soaps or jewelry or shirts or whatever like they can apply this is a general one i'm i'm already in excuse me i'm already in talks with other people and the idea is to have this to have different layers of granting for like documentaries in the future. I've been blessed in my life. You know, people really want to hate on the government

and the grants and the tax credits and things like that. My career, straight up, was built a lot on CRTC requirements. I worked for TELUS for years to create Canadian content, Canadian stories. The grant I received to do that web series was because TELUS is required to give a certain amount of money to Canadian content.

Now where we know it gets sticky is where they can define what Canadian content is or they can choose what stories are going to be out there. So I was like, we need to create the infrastructure to help artists and entrepreneurs because the government is not going to be granting the funds to maybe the stories that need to be told. Now with C-11 and all that jazz going on, what I find very exciting about, this idea is I'm like how many people have you ran into Nicole that are creators that have a show a podcast a live stream whatever it is they're an independent journalist for Pete's sake they do a great substack like there's there's a there's so many avenues right now and their biggest hold up is probably financial income right and so they're they're they're kind of stuck and getting

you talk about media literacy and And I don't know the literacy I'm talking about, but you're trying, financial literacy, is that what it is? Yeah, I don't know. In a sense that you're trying to create an avenue for people who are doing really good work or have a really good idea to get a little help to help excel it along, I think is kind of what I'm hearing. Yeah, and I'm actually really glad you brought that up.

So it's not just the money they're getting. We're going to curate education to meet what they need so they can learn to fish, not just get fish. And this was the biggest thing I saw missing from the grants that I got. You would get money to make the project, but they wouldn't teach you how to make money, business, to create a business, right? They would teach you how to create a project. And then we have all these artists.

I'm going to get a little, and journalists. I see a lot of poverty, scarcity mindset in artists and journalists, especially like there's virtue in poverty. Like, I know that I'm not corrupt because I don't make money. Well, I'm sorry. If we're going to step into where I think we need to step into, we got to be willing to make money. And if we're,

we think we're so much better than the elite, we got to show with our actions where we spend that money, how we support community, and let the fruit of that show if we really are quote unquote, better than the elite. Because it doesn't take very much to criticize people at the top when you're not willing to step into those shoes. And so that is a part of,

of it too is how do we get people who are successful in business mentoring and teaching people who have really great content or really great art and how do we all rise up and that's that's really what I'm passionate about so with the grant a let's start here if you if you've if you think you you fit the bill of the grant yeah how you're going to send me the info so they can go into the show notes and just click on it right and see everything and okay so that's one so if you're listening you're like, what is this about if I got a, and it's a grant, in the show notes, click on the link, and in there will be all the information to see if you fit the bill for what Nicole's talking about.

The second thing is, you said it's not just money, but there's going to be some education involved. What did you mean exactly by that? Could you expand on that a little bit? Yeah, so for this specific grant, because it's our first go, and it's a $2,000 grant, what I have people clicking on to agree to is about five hours. of curated education for them. So for example, can I say what workshop we're working on?

Are you cool at that? Yeah, I think so. Yeah, so Sean and I are working on, like, where he can come present on how to get sponsorship for your podcast. So if somebody, let's say, gets a $2,000 grant to go towards creating a podcast or bettering their podcast, maybe part of their education is having to listen to that replay.

Maybe it's having to listen to one of my workshops on how to interview and create in-depth conversations. Maybe it is, you know, an hour, hour and a half of, you know, how to make money off your content, how to create a subscription base. So it would be curated to the person who wins. For a $2,000 grant, we're not making you a millionaire. Yeah. But we're also not working you.

Like, we know that that's a certain place where you're at. So it's like five hours of focused time to learn some stuff is going to be great for you. Now when we're giving out $100,000. thousand dollar grants you're probably getting a mentorship i'm just throwing this out there she hasn't agreed to this but in my mind you're getting a mentorship with sar swain or east anchor media where like you're going to be required to step up and stretch and create the project and and learn in a different way so that's the vision well i think it's uh um like i love mentorship it's one of the things that uh i've always searched out and uh you know in this world

it's been, you know, I don't mean the Wild West, but I kind of feel like a lone ranger, you know, like a gunslinger. And one of the things that we've talked lots about, when you bring up, you know, like how to get ad money and things like that, I'm like, well, I just assume everybody's doing it. I've kind of found out that although everybody's doing it, I guess I'm kind of unique in the sense that I've found a way to leverage what I do into opportunities.

And for a lot of people, they get hung up on that, or they don't have that skill set. And I just grew up in sales and, of course, playing sports and different things like that. Where getting around people all the time never has bothered me. It's kind of like a, I don't know, I don't know, if it's a hidden skill or if it's something I developed. Anyways, the mentorship thing, even for myself, sounds so, like, enticing because I like, I love. I mean, Nicole, what we do when we talk is it's like, it's a different, I don't know, is it a different, I don't know, is it a different, form of mentorship?

Mentorship in my mind is somebody you can, who has a little bit of wisdom, maybe a lot of wisdom, that you can just bounce ideas off. They don't tell you what to do. They just try and like help guide your way of thinking. And I think I hope, is that what you think of mentorship first? Is that kind of. Totally. Like I, the best advice, one of the, some of the best advice I got early on in my career from my cousin, who's actually a director. He said, you know, when you go to network, just go find people that, you know, you like and you'd have a beer with, or find someone who's doing what you want to do and ask them to go for a coffee. Because instantly, like, now it becomes real. Now it becomes a possibility. And eventually, like, don't go in looking

for people with money. You go in just to make relationships. And eventually someone's going to either want to work with you or they're going to have that support, whatever that support is for you. So mentorship to me, like, I don't know. Let me rewind. I think that a lot of people in the, I get, sorry, I'm coming up with a bunch of ideas, people get really hung up on comparison. And they don't want, they say, don't compare yourself. There's healthy comparison and there's healthy adoration, not idolization, but just seeing, oh, this person's doing it, which means it's possible. It's like the four minute mile. I bring this up all the time.

You know, nobody thought someone could run, you know, a mile in four minutes. And then as soon as someone does it, a bunch of people have done it now. right? So mentorship is that. It's like, it's the lighthouse. It's showing you what's possible. And I mean, who wouldn't, who wouldn't want to talk to Adam Scorgy about making documentaries? Because that's another one that's going to be coming up. So I'm a big fan of mentorship. My career has been built on me seeking out people who I think are really cool doing cool things and like asking them questions about how they're doing it. I think what you just said, you go back to what your, you're,

documentary filmmaker, mentor, I think, is the right title. Anyways, look for someone who's doing what you want to do. And then if you could add into that and somebody you like hanging around with, because it's like, it's funny. When I think about what I even did at any of these networking things, I look for somebody who, that it feels comfortable. There's just a level of like comfortability to sit and have a conversation. and those are usually where I learn the most because you're willing to accept their thoughts

instead of judge everything they, you know, it's like, oh, that's an interesting. It's an interesting thought. But I don't know if I had a phrase like that before, and I don't know why. I probably never thought about it before, Nicole. But instead of looking for the richest person there, the biggest name there, you're looking for somebody who's doing what you want to do would be a good start. But on top of that, you need to have a relationship where it's like, oh, this feels like they're not talking at me or down to me or whatever the word is. Because those relationships themselves can be pretty, well, not fun.

And when you're trying to explore a new idea, you want to make sure that you got somebody who's going to bring you up and not push you down. Yes, that's so good. And I've had, you know, as an individual, we can learn from everyone. I've learned a lot working in companies, like especially at the beginning of my career. I've learned a lot of what not to do by being in a situation where I was like, oh, okay, when I go on to create a team, I want to do this, this, and this. And I'm really grateful for, again, I learned what to do as well. But there were times in my career and in certain team environments where I was like, oh, okay, I really get what not to do. And now I'm going to be better at leading a team in a certain circumstance.

But then there's also just people who vibe together. The people on that team, they really liked each other. They liked, they liked, how do I say, like, that was where they were at. So it's also like networking. You find the people that your crew is your crew, you know? It's like, it's not being used me personally. When, in, when I played senior hockey in home on my hometown, there was a group of, I think it was five of us on the, their Hitman senior hockey team board.

And I don't know what the right now. I've read different numbers on groups of people and what you can feel comfortable with, what's actionable where you get things done, et cetera, et cetera. But I think it was five, six if I'm wrong on that, and I apologize to the group. Anyways, it was such a fun group because everybody pulled their weight. So like nothing seemed impossible. You want to do this? Okay, let's get to work. And it's like that mentality in itself is, we'll put it.

is, we'll push everything further. And it's funny, it's not that I search for that, but it's enticing. And when you find it, it's so unique, you got to hold on to that because it doesn't come around every day. One of the, one of the things, I see you smiling and laughing. I assume that's kind of your East Anchor Media group. But not only that, like it doesn't come around every day,

but as we've been, I've been venturing in and you, I mean, you probably feel this way too, venturing into the last few years and really stepping, into speaking up and being more myself. And I find like I'm working with people like that all the time. Well, that's what's wild is like it's rare until it's not rare anymore because now you're so normalized to it that it's like you attract it like so easy. Like that's where I'm at anyway.

Like I don't work with people I don't like and that don't really have a passion. Now, I work with people who we have our self-doubt, we have our issues, we have our own neuroses or whatever, we have our own issues. but everybody's just so willing. It's, yeah. And it's funny. I've been, I don't know if I've been,

well, I know I have, we talked about this last time, I think, I'm going to even talk about it on your podcast. I've been a little bit guarded when it comes to the podcast

because I've worked so freaking hard on it. And there's only been, you know, minus my relationship with my wife and kids, I don't know if I've put in this much consistency into anything in my life where you show up every single day, maybe in my hockey career folks,

but like every single, day it's here it's like it doesn't there's no problem getting out of bed in the morning you know and whatever else but it has hit a point now where you're just like hmm probably gonna have to slowly add a few people to the team but you get to pick and so sean's like being very I mean obviously everybody knows by this point in time I've worked with twos for a year and so twos has slowly been added into the fold and I remember telling twos and he probably laughed at me you know back then when we're doing like the I'll sign up for four mash up for maybe five I don't know if I want to do this and he had to convince me this

will this is probably comes as a shock I went on family holidays last summer and he had to convince me it's the one I almost pass out in the the hotel they put me in a hotel storage room to the podcast because all at that time all this all the hotel like conference rooms were full of all their stuff because nobody was using it anymore it's middle of COVID nobody gets the other so they use the show you couldn't go in there like the guy I'm like it's full he's like oh yeah come take a look and like he opened the door and like he opened the door and You couldn't even get to the table.

I'm like, oh, he's like, but I got a great storage room for you. So Tuesday had to convince me, and I'm sitting in the storage room and there's this fly, fly, and I'm like, Tuesday, I think we got to end this. Like, I'm about to pass out. I'm sweating. It's so hot. It was just stale in there. Right?

Another Tuesday mashup moment that will go down in the history books, I'm sure. But it takes, you know, as I told them at the time, I'm like, I really need to see if you're committed. Because if you're committed, it makes it easy because I know what I'm all about. And me and Nicole, once again, I've had this chat lots. My hesitation on people goes, well, how committed are you? Because I can't pull your weight for you. You have to pull your, you know, on your side of the rope or your rope or whatever, whatever we're calling it, as much or more than I have. Yep.

Yep. I think it's really interesting because that's why I was chatting with a friend the other day. I don't know if we're going to build a team where it's like a bunch of people on salary. I like working with you and twos to do this media stuff, to do these events, because it's like project-based, it's event-based, it's like, it's whatever. And then it's very clear expectations. Like we're doing this. This is the outcome. Everyone pull their weight and then disperse and go do your other thing. And I think that creates more commitment in a certain way. And then, of course, you have like your core. So yeah, I get what you're saying. You don't want to just

like bring anyone on but i feel like i'm the gym of the hockey team and the goal is to win the stanley cup finals and uh the stanley cup championship the stanley cup i don't know why i'm keeping the stanley cup folks i don't know why i had to say that three different times what's the minton oilers round two Vegas baby woo but as a as a as a gym of a hockey team or the gym of a podcast or what have you it's like i the sydney crosbys don't come around every single day they probably are sitting out there they just to get them sitting in Alberta or Saskatchewan where I sit you know and and certainly the world you know has made it the the the internet's made it so you can work with anyone

anywhere but I'm still such a still such a like in-person type guy you know like it's as much it you know I've talked about this lots but as much as I love doing this right now how cool would it be if I had a like I do have a second location in Eminton loosely and how much better would it be if we're sitting across from each other having a coffee this morning instead of doing it this way? You know, where at times you're like, is this working? Is this working? And Sean having problems? It's like so much better. It's not even funny. And to curate that team, I'm just patient that with time it will come into focus. Yeah, it's, yes. That's kind of also

the next part of what East Banker Media wants to do is we're going to be creating a membership because we recognize that so many people in the media industry have been dispersed. There's a lot of people who are working at very high levels, who are scared to speak out because they're going to lose their jobs. I know of some. So then can we start creating a space where quality is like a thing, you know? Isn't it funny to those people? You think you're going to lose your job. You think you're going to lose your life, but like it's so freeing just to speak. I was going to say to speak the truth, but just to like actually open yourself up to the chrism. You know, I'm going to, I'm going to, I'm a garden girl, Ariel from Regina.

She was our sponsor for the Tuesday mashup for the month of April. She had a post because the Y-WCA, yes. I'm saying that right. In Regina for Women's Conference got a transgender woman, so a male who's become a woman. Anyways, not their woman of the year, but I forget what anyways. She just had a on her private Facebook post. was, you know, we can do better, right? And she was talking about the Y-WCA.

I don't know. That's a terrible acronym. Anyways. And she got so much flack. And so she had texted me saying, like, I'm like, you know, if you guys, this is the way I read the text. And I'm actually going to search it for you. But like, the way I read the text is she's like, I think she thinks me and twos are

going to disown her. and so I called her because I'm like I need you to understand that me and twos are not walking away from you it's awesome that you're like you're willing to put your thoughts out and then she went so now she's been on I believe Shadow Davis I believe John Gormley um I believe one more there's one more out there folks that she's been on and she put out where is it? Oh man. I'm making everybody wait.

You know what? I just want to put this in while you're looking. What's interesting is it does feel like you're going to lose everything. I felt that way before I spoke out on June 8th, 2021. And what I can say with 100% certainty, 100% certainty, I don't say that often. There's a rough patch. but you gain everything

and Canadians for Truth and Shadow Davis both reached out to her sorry I'm reading and listening yeah yeah it feels like you're gonna die when you do something like that and you get all the hate

but the people again going back the people I get to hang out with and be around with they're solid you're not ditching her because of even if you disagreed with her you wouldn't be ditching her so 100% and the thing is

is what I was trying to get and I should have had the Twitter I didn't you know this is life she went I went on Gormley this morning and she said and I I hope I'm allowed to speak for her she said holy fuck the support rolling in from your show and his is insane and what I was going to get to with all these different people going like I'm so ner like I got a job and if I speak it's like you don't understand this like people are are just like dying for people to just talk and like be open and yeah yeah I'm Are you going to get it right every time? No.

But, like, there's so many of us that are just done with, like, this kind of like, you have your speaking points and that's it. We're not allowed to talk about how insane the world is. Because everybody can see it. The world is insane right now. We have gone so far to one side. And so I guess what I'm trying, what I was trying to spit out, and then, you know, the aerial thing is just like case in point.

She was terrified. I said, listen, we ain't going anywhere. We're going to celebrate the fact that you have a voice and you're trying to use it. And they're trying to attack you and say that we're going to get garden girl.com. And you're never going to have any business. And what ends up happening is the complete opposite. People are reaching out. There's a one of the listeners, Joe was in Regina and made sure to stop in and, like, get a picture with her and send it to me.

It was like, this woman's amazing. And then, you know, Ariel's texting. Like, the support is unreal. It's like, yeah. Like, I actually understand that quite well. It's a scary little world to walk into because it's unknown. And the unknown is so much fear put in it. But the truth of the matter is, is like, everybody is, like, crying out for more of it.

Because we're, we've just, not only the two years, I bet there's people that are, like, I've seen this coming for eight years, 10 years. We're just like, we're no longer allowed to talk about anything. Yeah. You know, I want to say it's a hockey net in Canada that's not allowed to say, uh, girls and boys of all ages anymore. Like, that stuff is insanity. We have hit peak insanity.

And if we're not allowed to talk about it, well, it only get. It's worse. And people are waiting for the champions of the world to stand up and go like no more. And that's opening yourself to criticism and everything else. But it's also opening yourself to this huge community that wants to support that and is willing to support that. 100%. And I want to bring a little attention. I've heard a couple stories where people started to speak out.

And they just got the backlash. And they retreated. And it like, and it was really hard for them. And I don't, I'm not saying that every single, every single. every single person is going to experience the next wave of complete support. It's like you've got to go through it. It takes intent. But like in the wash, the further you go through it, that is where it's undeniable.

And again, I laugh because like I'm, I don't, I don't only work with people I agree with. I want to make that clear. There can be differings of opinions. But when I say I like, what I'm also talking about is I trust. And what you're getting at is we're craving people who are trustworthy. Not that we agree with. Just people who are willing to say what they really think. And if you're self-censoring a lot, and I definitely do this at times, but someone who's self-censoring a lot is not trustworthy because there's a manipulation.

They're choosing their words to appease you or to make sure that they're accepted or to fit in. So what we're craving is this like a trustworthy person, not someone that we agree with on everything. Yeah. I can, like, I want somebody who speaks your mind. And even if you speak your mind in the way that goes against some of my thoughts, it'll challenge me to see like, oh, I'm not a ton of that way. Or I just disagree with you and this is why. And it's just discourse.

It's uncomfortable. It's very uncomfortable to, I mean, I just had Billboard Chris on. When we get talking about puberty blockers and stuff for kids, all that stuff, It is the most uncomfortable. I just wish I could explain how uncomfortable I am talking about it. Except I listen to it. I'm like, I get it. Like this is, I get it.

And that entire conversation right now is just like, I'm uncomfortable. But you have to put yourself in uncomfortable spots. That's how you get comfortable. You have to go to where it's like, I do not want to be here. I do not want to be here. And then along the way, you're certainly going to get disowned by a few. But you're going to pick up some other people who are like, honestly, I think I can have to be here.

help you. I mean, I think we could do, oh, okay, interesting. Okay, well, let's carry on. I mean, it's how I've ran into so many people such as yourself, Nicole, and I'm sure you can sing the praises of so many others. In our world, how concerned are you about Bill C-11? I'm kind of, I haven't really brought up the conversation with many people since it, I mean, it literally just happened last week, but how concerned are you about them? monitoring Canadian content and trying to, you know, I mean, I don't know, is it whichever governments in control of that becomes a giant power tool that you're like, oh boy, or are you nervous at all? Why do you think we've already been censored and everything else?

It's a good question because like when it started to be a thing over a year ago, I was researching it and I was like, again, as someone who's received so much of my career from can-con requirements. It's presented as, we want to make sure there's enough Canadian content that Canadians are being, you know, supported. And it's also as someone who has friends who've worked in, you know, the film industry,

seeing that we're often service providers, but not, like, producers. Like, we often provide editing services and different services, but to actually have our creative vision come to light, you know, there's the thought process in the industry that we're, like, very much used as Canadians. Our landscape, you know,

our people and our best people often go to the United States. That's the, that's the overarching idea. So like, it seems awesome to be like, oh, more Canadian content's going to be, you know, done. But we know that that's not what's going to happen. But do I feel worried about it? I don't think it helps to be worried. I think that that's why I'm creating the grant.

That's why I'm creating connections with people to build a different media system. Because now, as far as the internet goes and things like that, like obviously the thought has crossed my path, like, will I need to move out of Canada? Like, that has. Like, even though I want, I love the community here and, I mean, the connections that are being built in Alberta specifically,

but really all across Canada, we've got amazing friends in Ontario and BC and Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec. I'm sure some on the East Coast. I get some messages from these coasts, but yeah. I don't think we need to be worried because I don't think the worry, it needs to be informative. Oh, I feel fear. Now let's shift into creation.

Let's shift into innovation. Let's find solutions. That's where I'm at. Yeah. It's going to happen. I don't know how to explain it. Like, many years ago, I've, I mean, when you say, you know, people have seen this coming for potentially a decade, like, this has been going on for a long time past that.

I had information being, you know, told to me by my dad 15 years ago. That was very uncomfortable. So there's a lot of people who have seen this coming for decades, right? It's whether or not we are able to transform this experience into something else. It's going to happen. I don't know if that doesn't necessarily give people hope, but. No, it does. To me, if all, you know, I sent you the little promo.

video of the SMP before we started. And when I did it, I was like, you know, like, it's funny how ideas just get lodged in your brain and you cannot like I could, normally I can put the podcast away on weekends folks for like, and then hang out with family

kids. I don't even think about it. And I had this with Bill C-11 passing. I just was like, you know, I don't know. There's a bit of fear, anxiety, whatever comes with it, because I'm like, You know, it just, I mean, they didn't need C-11 for YouTube to yank my entire channel and nuke it.

It's like, at the end of the day, this is just another piece of paper that's saying, it's more than that, I'm not trying to make light of it, but I'm just like, listen, if you talked a certain way before this, you weren't there. Think of Twitter. If you were doing anything, Facebook. Like, you can talk to Shadowin and Wayne Peters about this, how many times they've been everything on those platforms. So this has been here now for longer than just this past year, them talking about this bill and everything else.

And so when I started editing that, I just, I started on, it was like a Thursday night. And then I had no interview all day Friday. So I just lost track of time. I just, the entire day, you just went away. And then Saturday I couldn't stop editing. And Sunday morning I woke up and my son was sitting beside me. He's like, what are you working on?

I'm like, I don't know. I just, I got to get this little promo. And if you haven't seen it, I'll put that in the show notes too. my show notes are just going to be full of stuff. I know, just link, link, link, link. Link, link. Anyways, and it's just a two minutes and 30 second promo video of the podcast. But I'm like, I just, I'm tired of being fearful of the entire world trying to shut us out of everything.

It's just, it's not happening on my watch. I don't feel like a lot of people are like it's going to happen on their watch. And if they want that, fine. So be it. I'm as Canadian as it gets when it comes to content. And, you know, if it comes to Justin Trudeau, None of us are going to speak. I mean, that's how the last three years played out.

And if Pierre gets him voted in, we better put his feet to the fire, so to speak, and be like, listen, get some of this out of here so we can have alternative voices talking. You know, it's Chris Sims talking about Sun Media and things like that. This has been going on way longer than what the last little bit has been. And the fear thing, I'm just done with. I just, I cannot explain how done with I am. So to hear you have a little positive take on it, actually, I'm right there with you. Like, I don't, don't get me wrong.

I'm not, like, I don't think that they're going to use it to better anything. But as you said, like, like, yeah, okay, they're doing it. Yep, we know it. Okay, let's what, I have a question for you, Sean. Do you feel now in your life versus before the pandemic, before the censorship that you received? as like an overarching question. Is your life better or worse? It is absolutely better,

but it took some very uncomfortable moments. It has been a journey. But where I sit right now, I mean, obviously if they scrubbed the internet and you could no longer find the podcast, I guess I'd be out of a job. If they start to pull stuff, you know, but they'd have to pull,

but you know in my mind rogan of the world they'd have to pull um you know i don't think i'm doing anything that crazy um by allowing people to speak although in our times that is quite a crazy thought process but no there was uncomfortable times nicole but right now no like um i i can't so let's just break it you don't need to give numbers or whatever like let's just say objectively um financially well financially was a step back from the oil field. Oil field, oil field, I was making very, very good money

with a company truck, company phone, company credit card, company, company, company. But as flexible as that job was, it does it nothing even remotely close to operating on your own schedule. As far as money goes, it's doubled every single year. We'll see what 2023 does, but that's why it became financially stable

enough to take a step back in hopes of taking giant steps forward. And it's allowed for so much more in life. It's just, it's, you know, like, here's, here's a thought for you. Okay. My wife is from the United States. She's a teacher. She goes down there for anywhere between four to eight, well, not eight weeks, four to six weeks every summer. And when I worked the oil field, I made great money. But I didn't have that much time off. And when I went, I knew I was coming back to an absolute, like, the team doesn't want you to leave, because now I'm leaning on my team to do all this work. Sean has this podcast. He can go wherever he wants. So last summer, we went for six weeks. So here's my question. Yeah, because in relation to the oil field, that's different,

but through censorship, you've said that you've increased your profits for the podcast through censorship. Yes. Well, because think about this. If you're a private business, that operates in, I don't know, the oil field right now, and they're talking about just transition, it behooves you to start supporting somebody who will talk about it and help educate not only myself, but along with that, the audience. And so you'll find there are people

that are willing to support the other side just as much as the CBC gets supported by the people who believe in it. Because, you know, Rebel News, Rebel News, fun fact, isn't just this nonprofit entity. They get people support it because they're doing work they believe in. Same with the Western Standard. Same with the counter signal. Same with all these different, I don't know, agencies.

Is that what it is? I don't know. Totally. People want to support that. And so the more, go back to the Ariel story, the more you start to confront what is the proverbial mob on what mob mentality is or what the narrative of the day is

there's people that see through that. I've seen through it for a long time and have been waiting for somebody to open up a channel or whatever it is so they can listen to it and have some people on that they want to hear from and et cetera, et cetera. And in return,

they've been very supportive of that. I hope that's answering your question. Totally. I want to ask another one because this is what I think people really need to wrap their heads around because they're throwing fear at us but relationally.

over through the pandemic. But obviously there was the bumpy bits. I'm sure you've lost friends like I have in family and things like that. But where you're at now, what are the relationships like in your life? I would say, once again, that's been a bumpy road.

But I don't like to think I've lost any friends. This is one of the things that me and Carla talked about where I'm just different than a lot of people. I didn't, I don't think I did. And maybe somebody can point it out to me. me that I have, but I don't think I jettisoned anyone or had them jettisoned me. Certainly people know where I stand. And to me, I've never been closer with my wife. Never. I've really focused on kids.

And then I have a group of, you know, a handful of people around that that I interact with every single week. And I've just come to terms with, I just don't need the rest of it. I just, if you don't like me, that's fine. I see you once a year, once every three years, I'm not going to lose sleep over it. If you're losing sleep over me, then you need to kind of get back to the building blocks of what life is about. And for me, it's family. And after that, as long as that's healthy, everything stems from it. So I'm going in a roundabout way. Financially step back, but now it feels like it's going, not to the moon, but it feels like it's going in the right direction.

relationships I've never been closer and that comes from everything you put yourself through because you find out who your friends really are when you go to the wall and back and I see you know on your head and like yeah I get that you've somehow turned this on me Nicole Nicole is this what I what the overarg and I think what your audience is going to get what I'm getting at is throw Bill C11 at us go fucking for it might be hard for a little bit and the people who are living in a certain love. I know that sounds so cliche, but it's a certain love for people

and for growth and for expansion are going to overcome. And it's always going to be how it is, even when the things get hard. The best thing about the promo video is I forgot about this, but I remember the Seizdat, I think, I think that's what it is.

Anyway, it's a Russian word. And it's Francis Christian. He's like, your podcast, part of the resistance. And I'm like, I'm like being, isn't that a wild thought just to be on the other side of just opening up dialogue? You're part of the resistance. And, and, and then soon after or soon before that, it just shows off to the million downloads. It's like, yeah, yeah, you know, I agree with you.

Bill C-11, don't get me wrong. It's like, do they show up one day and cart you out of your house and you're gone? Because, you know, like Susanna was on the, she was lady, the. grew up 27 years in a communist country and different things like that. It's like, don't get me wrong. We're, we're treading very close or flying very close to the sun where you do not want to go. But by having these stories and explaining and trying to get the word out, there's just a peace of mind and being true to yourself and just like saying what's on your mind.

I don't know. It's so like liberating. It's so liberating. And like, that's where freedom's born from. Now, don't get me wrong. someone's going to come at this podcast and be like, bad things can happen. We might be, yeah, I do think it's possible. And I make this joke often, but the more I make it, the more I really believe it.

If let's say we were thrown into, you know, concentration camp together, all of us, the people, the quality of people that would be thrown in that concentration camp, we would have that place. It's a morbid joke, but me and Tuesday make the joke. Can you imagine doing the Tuesday mashup out of a gate, you know, we're locked in here? And I mean, like, what a bunch of. you yeah who's I mean don't get me wrong folks I'm making a really like I'm making light of a very dark situation I think that's all you can do when you when you

talk about something going that dark but I chuckle about it like me and two sitting there getting the old the word out on whatever and making fun of the government still because we would because we'd be like this is ridiculous and and everything else do I ever want to go there no but if by doing what I've done and being open to who I am gets me there I think you know overall as a society we're in a place that no longer is where I want to be. Like I just like I want just open dialogue conversation. If they outlaw that, we're in a world of hurt.

We just are. Yeah. And again, I'm not downplaying. You know, often people say to me, I get this a lot. Like, can Nicole, like, what trauma did you have in your life? Or like, do you even know what it's like to be angry? I had a boss say, you can't do a story on PTSD. Like, you don't even know what anger is.

And I have often people say, hey, I've had this happen. They send me all the traumas of their life. How can you speak on trauma, Nicole? Look at all these things that I experience. Now, I'm not going to get into it today. But what I will say is I'm well versed in extreme traumas based on, you know, experiences that my parents have had and certain experiences I've had. So my joy and optimism doesn't come from ignorance.

And sometimes people can interpret it that way. I just know, based on what I've experienced, that when you're in that space, that is freedom, even if they try to oppress you. Now, Sean's been angry lots. I just try not to, I just don't think, well, I don't know. Some friends would laugh at that. But, like, getting anger out of my system and talking to friends, usually I talk to somebody close about it and vent, right? Venting is a good thing because it gets it out of your system.

but like anger, I think there's a lot to be angry about. I just not sure that it fixes anything. It can motivate, like, certainly, like it can push and get to you to a spot of moving things forward, I hope. But I'm not sure that just being angry does anything. No, I think it also is like, we have to get really curious about our own curriculums. Because for some people, their whole thing might be to go and infiltrate the government. Can I ask a question? Now, a question for, you said, I got three minutes on the clock.

Yeah. No, you can have a little bit. We are going to a little more time. Okay. Yeah. So one of the things I wanted to ask you about. Yeah. And I'm going to try and, okay, so I don't lose my thought here.

Yeah. Is you're talking about, you're asking me over the course of the last couple years, you know, financially, you know, like lifestyle-wise has gotten better or worse and all these different things. And what actually spawned, spawned, what. popped in my head was by sticking being truthful with myself, which is very tough, long-term. It gets easier. That sounds like, anyways, it's led me to a whole bunch of conversations I never thought I'd ever have. And I look for adventure in life. I want, I just want to be, I don't know, ride in the wave.

And the wave is dangerous because if you fall, you're going to get absolutely, I've never surf but to me I'm like I get it and by sticking like being truthful to yourself which at times means calling out your own side like I just no I don't see it that way regardless has led me to some of the coolest conversations I've had with with big names in the NHL and then switching over to doctors and lawyers and talking about you know stuff that I didn't want to talk about and then politics which I thought I'd never talk about and then now I've been talking more about faith than I thought I'd ever talk about. I got a guy coming on that just fell in my lap.

And, you know, we joked on the phone, right? Because he's a born-again Christian. He's just like, yeah, no. He goes, the Lord works in mysterious ways. And I'm like, yeah, well, I'm kind on the edge of I don't believe in coincidence anymore. Or I believe in them. Like, I truly, you know, you follow that line and see where it goes. Anyways, he's going to be coming on in a couple weeks, folks.

And talking to him on the phone was very, very interesting. So that's just food for thought for a couple weeks from now for Josh Allen when he comes on. So there's the name to look out for it. I'm curious, Nicole, in your journey, if it's the same for you, by being true to yourself, what that has opened up for you. Because I think that's, you know, you talk financially and quality and life and everything else. To me, being truthful to yourself, what doors has that opened up? Oh, man.

Okay, this is funny because I'm really good at what's coined high-level hiding, which means I'm good at doing a job for other people, and I'm really good at supporting other people. And I love to do it, and I'm always going to do that. But what this has done is pressure cooked me. I've been fired multiple times last year, and I've never been. Like, for reference, like, I've worked on so many films in Alberta. I've worked with so many people in Alberta.

Like I was like, like really loved working with people in Alberta. And then all of a sudden, the network I built, the majority of them, they ain't calling me to work so much anymore. The job that I want, and I say this so humbly, I have not given a resume in years and years and years except for like to put it on file. I get called to work at jobs. They want me in that position. I get offered jobs. And like, boom, I had to speak out. knowing that that was going to shift.

Now I'm actually stepping into the uncomfortable place of creating with some really amazing people and creating East Anchor Media doing this grant, doing these events, and it's exposing. And the people I'm hanging out with now are like, Nicole, you're really fucking funny in person. Like that doesn't come across online enough. Like start sharing more. And so, yeah, the. The depth of richness can't be put into words because it's experiential, like what you're saying.

Like, how do you put money on, like, becoming more yourself and being surrounded by people who actually love you for who you are and call you higher? Yeah. So that's the greatest gift and working with people who are really intentionally doing the same thing. Yeah. And I don't know if this is, I'll say it from. myself becoming okay with who you are like it's I don't know if I can put an amount or anything on just being like just I'm just good and for too long you well I don't know if we teach your kids this or if this is just something you

experience through like adolescence into even young adulthood where you're constantly searching for people to affirm that you are X Y Z whatever it is right? You're constantly looking for, and I don't know, I, I, I don't know when it happened, but I'm just, you're just like, I don't know, I'm speaking for myself, I guess, that I'm just good. It's like, I'm quite, content, content. Yeah, yeah, intent, but still growth, like, you're very growth oriented, like, that's obvious. Like, let's keep going, let's keep growing, but from a content place, which is a beautiful thing. Yeah.

You know, I just think as so many things that have plagued me over the last even three years, so much of it has been external pressures to be something you don't want to be. I just don't like, and I just don't want to do that. And I've always admired somebody who can be just like, I'm just not that interested. You're like, really? Why?

Because it's just, you know, and you're like, uh, that's interesting. I've always found those people very interesting. They're just so self-assured. You can just be like, nah, I just, you're like, oh, how do they do that? And I feel like I'm getting closer and closer to that, which is when you just want to say no, you can just say no, and it's okay. Like, it's completely okay.

Yeah, I'm getting closer to that. I still struggle with that because I want to be like the cheerleader for everybody and say yes to everything. But I agree with you. I agree with you. again the trustworthiness of a person. If someone you feel saying yes to you just because they feel obligated or communicating with you just because they feel obligated, like man, that's not as much, that's not as trustworthy. Yeah. No. Okay, well, let me do this. The crude master final question with you. I'll get you out here relatively on time. I'm chuckling because Nicole, when we started

and she's like, I got a heart out today. I'm like, we'll see about that, you know. Yeah, but I'm a producer too. I gave him a hard out like 15 minutes before I needed a hard out. So, Oh, smart. Smart. Okay, well, let's see what you pull out with the crude master final question here. Normally, it's what do you stand behind? But today, with talking about media grants and different things like that, I'm kind of curious. Long-term vision, who would you want to see come through that?

and if you were, I'm thinking of like, you'll have to forgive the hockey brain. I'm thinking of a giant organization. So if you were, who would you want to see the next visionary documentary filmmaker come through that or you're like, it doesn't matter. We're just looking, I would just love to have the best, whatever it is and say that East Anchor Media got to work with said an individual.

Like you're saying, what's the long-term effects of these grants and the grants that we're creating and East Anchor Media? Yeah, this is interesting. You said that we watched the movie Spotlight on the weekend. Have you seen that movie? 2016 Best Picture. It's about the Boston Globe. No, no, no, Boston Globe breaking the story about priests molesting kids in Boston.

Who's in that? Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton. It's a great movie. Oh, I haven't watched that one. Okay, I have not. I got to go watch it. Okay. Like literally need to.

It's amazing. And at the end, it has like the most amazing script, and so many movies nowadays are like, you know, action and just like drama and like such an amazing script, such an amazing story with relationships. And I used to think that the story was, you know, about praise molesting kids and how it came to the surface through journalism. Watching it now, I'm like, oh no, the story is about a community in denial and a community willing to hide horrible things in order to keep the, peace and the story that it's being shown through is priest molesting kids and i said after that to diana and shana i said how cool would it be or how cool is it going to be when east anchor and these grants are producing this quality of caliber of movie and we're telling the stories about the vaccines that took place so short term i want people getting their skills going i want them

stepping outside their comfort zone because i know that that's challenging even applying for the grant is going to be a stretch for some people. Because I lay out the questions as the instructor, as the teacher, as the mentor I am, to get you thinking in a way that's going to develop your vision and get you really clear on the challenges so that even if you don't get the grant, you now have the forming of a business plan. You now have the forming of your vision and your heart's desires. But long term, oh, it's taking down, not taking down like in a horrible way,

but like it's rival, what's a rivalry, rival, rivaling Hollywood. It's the quality and the heart in the content. That's for media. Of course there's businesses. Of course there's creation,

but, but I'm saying like, hey, let's go next level. Let's stop being victims to this. It would be interesting to have, well, I don't know.

I love the, the moonshot vision, right? Like to the, moon. But it would be really, really, really cool to see some of the talent that Canadians have sitting in their own backyard that some of us know about. Certainly I don't know what about at all, you know, like, but I just go back to the promo video and when I walk through and I'm like, holy crap. One of the things I did well was trying to stick to a lot of Canadians because

I'm like, we have to promo what we have. And it's so much easier to get your, what's going on in Canada from a Canadian instead of going, farming it out to some other country looking in on us. And it's all just sitting there. And I wonder how many kids that are coming up fast, you know, are going to be something of force to be reckoned with. And what, you know, if they, you know, you wonder, like, there was the girl from the S&P Presents who wrote the article at 16. And you're like, you wonder if.

one of them, hears this, on Nicole's East Anchor Media's grant, takes the money because they don't need a whole lot, turns it into something

that none of us could ever think of. And in 10 years or whatever it is, they're at the forefront and you're like, you've just had enough of a push to help them,

they were already a rocket ship. They just needed a little bit of a push and they're off. They went. It'll be interesting to watch because I think it's a great idea. That's heck, that's why you're on.

I know we bounced around folks like me and Nicole always seemed to do from top topic, but I am really interested to see where it goes, not only for East Anchor, but for whoever comes through the gauntlet of all the applications to see who it is, right? It kind of, it's like a cheap version, not in the sense of like quality, but in the sense of production of like American Idol or something.

I don't know why American Idol always comes up, but. To be fair, like East Anchor, we're curating in and eventually like it's going to have to be something. We're getting third party judges. So like, like, we're going to do our best to, you know, have some separation there. It's not just Nicole choosing what she wants. And the talent is there, Sean. This is the thing is you need people to be able to practice their craft. And that's what we're encouraging is like, practice your craft, get going, step up into that next level of growth. Like, yeah. What did I, I just watched a video. It said 18 minutes a day. If you did, some,

anything, any craft for 18 minutes a day for one year, you're better than 95% of the world at that craft. Really? Yeah. And I'm like, what can you start doing for 18 minutes a day? That would be going to. Well, I just, when people ask me about starting a podcast, I just say the same thing. Just start.

And yeah, you might suck. Go back and listen to me. I sucked. I might suck for some people right now. Right now. I know I've been getting hassle. Sean's talked a little bit in the third person lately, and that's rubbed some people the wrong way.

And I'm like, yeah, I'm sorry. I don't know why I've been doing that. I guess when I analyzed the last three years, I look at Sean as an individual and I take a step back, but I chuckle, I'm like, yeah, I gotta stop doing that. But that really pissing people off. And I'm like, oh, sorry, I don't know. I'm not trying to be, you know, that.

But it's like, so if you're looking to me for advice when starting a craft, and it's specifically podcasting, He's like, you could be into year five, which I am. I guess I'm into year five and still suck, right? It's like, but the consistency makes you better than 95% of the world. And I might argue that the consistency has put me in the top 1% of podcasts in the world. You know, it's a weird thing to have companies reach out to you from a different country going, hey, you're on our list to reach out to because you're in this little realm.

And I'm like, oh, that's interesting. Cool. but if you did that 18 minutes a day on whatever you want to be, all of a sudden you're in the top 5% of the world. And that's if you're not, you know, like if you just start from scratch, Nicole,

I'm telling you, that's an interesting thought process. Somebody out there should hear that and get off running on something. And this is the thing is go apply for the grant, y'all. Like, just freaking apply. Because that is part of doing it.

Like, like, yeah, it's so important to just get going. That's what everybody says. Start doing it. you're going to have self-doubt. That's always going to happen.

I'll tell you what, and how about, how about we add a little bonus? Vance Crow just did this on the podcast. He challenged kids when it came to Bitcoin mining and he said he'd interview whoever did it first. So how, can I throw it a little challenge, whoever applies and gets the grant? Would you?

Yeah. Okay, so whoever gets the grant, how about we have them on the podcast? I love that. I love that so much. And also, I should have said this. You know, John Porter from Barter it? Yeah.

He is matching the $2,000 grant with $2,000 Canadian credits in the barter system. So this person's truly getting $4,000 worth of stuff. I've got to have Mr. Barter it on. I'm into doing him tomorrow. Me and him have been bouncing around. But yeah, so just add it into your whatever thing you're putting out there that when the person wins. And I don't know, me and you should talk about this off air a little bit just to fish out like, fish out, like kind of push out the details of like, do we wait a month once they've gotten into it?

So there's a little more meat to the process of interviewing. But to me, it's like I'm, I love hearing from people who are just getting into their craft who don't think they have enough to talk about and blah, blah, blah. And then they turn out to be, you know, once upon a time, I interviewed this guy named Quick Dick McDick, folks. And he was like, I don't think I can do an hour podcast. And I mean, look at how much he's impacted Saskatchewan, maybe let alone all of Canada. and all these people are sitting out there. So yeah, toss my name onto the list of things they can, I think that would be a ton of fun.

I love it. We're going to talk more. I just want to say, because I want to go back to what you were getting at, I think, and I love that. Yes, the dream is for me, I get to have the dream slash hold the vision of like the quality of spotlight. But that's not the importance, and I don't want someone to be scared to apply because they're not at that level. The point of this grant is to usher people through their experience and to help them grow. and to, yeah, showcase the amazing talent and skill set that we have here in Canada. Well, now I'm going to have eyes on who it is because now I'm kind of curious what's going to come through the gates of East Anchor Media and get through.

Either way, you got me vested now. So I appreciate you doing this conversation. As always, I never seem to know where it's going. And I appreciate you hopping on, Nicole. Look forward to seeing when is it closing date? When is the last application allowed? Okay, so we're doing this. This is the first announcement. So when people hear this on Wednesday, the third, they'll be like, okay, sweet. It's going to be the 12th now. May 12th. May 12th. You cannot get an application through there. It's done. It'll be that midnight. So it'd be 11, 1159. And then do you have a time frame on when you're announcing who it is? It depends on how many applications, but it looks like, that's why we're extending it a bit. We've had people starting to apply actually just the last few days. Lots of people. I will say too, there. there's a $25 application fee that goes towards the producing of it,

the back end, all those things. But 10% of that also goes into the next grant. So there is an application fee so that we can actually get judges, honorariums, things like that. So we've had a lot of people buy the application, but now they're just starting to trickle in. So I think there's going to be some people who get a little nervous, but I want to just welcome them apply.

It shouldn't take too long, an hour to two hours to do this application. sweet well i tell you what we will be paying attention may 12th then is the final is done i'll be excited then i assume sometime later on in may to hear who it is and uh well if you're that said person you could be sitting uh maybe we'll bring you in the studio maybe we'll have a lot of fun with us anyways who knows it's so fun i love it regardless Nicole i'll let you out of here thanks for hopping on and and uh doing this again um you know once again it looks like sounds like you've just challenged me to like 16 different things unbeknownst to me. So we'll look forward to meeting up with you here

and I'm probably doing some different things over the course of the next couple months. Beautiful. Awesome. Thanks, Sean. You're the best. Well, thanks for tuning in today, guys. Looks like Sean's got a myriad of things to do, you know. It looks like I'm going to be teaming up with East Anchor Media for June the 9th. So if you're invited to the last one we did at,

the S&P Presents Legacy Media in Eminton, It's going to be a similar idea, I think, and so you can look forward to probably an email or communication somewhere here in the next couple days on that. And if you haven't got tickets for the SMP presents, Luongor and Craneer, that's in the show notes, June 10th here in Lloyd at the Gold Horse Casino. I think, like I said, Nicole, it's going to be an electric night.

I got to say this episode is brought to you by Calrock Industries, use, surplus, frack sales, and production tanks. If you're looking in the oil field for any of those, here in Lloydminster, calrock.ca, has got you covered, and just head over there. They got contact info. They got everything they could possibly offer you here in the oil industry, and they can get you hooked up.

Finally, I would just say look forward to another brother's roundtable coming up, and we got some different things going on later on this week, and looking forward to all that. Either way, we'll catch up to you guys next episode, right? Thank you.