True North Success Podcast

What does it really take to succeed in digital transformation? In this episode, Jhon Lopez shares why technology alone isn’t enough—and how putting people first is the true key to lasting business growth.
Jhon Lopez joins Gary Mah to share insights from over 20 years of experience leading complex IT and enterprise transformation projects across multiple industries and countries. From his early career in Colombia to leading global initiatives in Canada and beyond, Jhon reveals how aligning people, processes, and technology can drive meaningful and measurable results.
Throughout the conversation, Jhon emphasizes the importance of human connection in a rapidly evolving, tech-driven world. While many organizations focus heavily on systems and tools, he explains why overlooking the human side often leads to failed implementations. He shares practical lessons on change management, leadership, and building trust within diverse, multicultural teams.
Jhon also opens up about personal challenges—like overcoming language barriers and adapting to a new culture—and how embracing failure helped him grow both personally and professionally. His message is clear: success comes from consistency, learning through mistakes, and staying intentional in your actions.
The episode also explores financial growth strategies beyond active income and wraps up with Jhon’s exciting next chapter—launching his consulting company, Catalyst EQ Solutions, to help small and medium-sized businesses navigate digital transformation with a human-centered approach.
 
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What if your greatest business advantage wasn’t strategy—but emotional intelligence? In this episode, registered psychologist Daniel McMillan shares how understanding people is the key to building both a successful career and a thriving business.
Daniel McMillan, founder of Assured Psychology in Calgary, brings over 20 years of experience helping individuals and organizations navigate mental health, trauma, and relationships. Through his work at assuredpsychology.com, he blends clinical expertise with business insight, showing how emotional awareness can directly impact leadership, growth, and long-term success.
In this conversation, Daniel shares how his early exposure to compassionate care shaped his career path and how his curiosity about the human experience continues to influence both his clinical work and business decisions. He explains why being a great practitioner is not enough to run a successful business—and how learning marketing, systems, and financial strategy became essential to his growth.
Daniel also highlights the importance of continuous learning, taking risks, and leaning into areas of discomfort. He discusses how many professionals hold themselves back by assuming others are more capable, and why building skills through action is often more valuable than waiting for perfection.
 
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What if life-saving medical innovations didn’t take over a decade to reach patients? In this episode, Ehsan Misaghi shares how he’s working at the intersection of medicine, AI, and research to help close that gap—and why saying “yes” to opportunities can shape a powerful, unconventional career path.
Ehsan Misaghi is an MD/PhD candidate and Killam Laureate at the University of Alberta. With a unique background spanning biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence, he is focused on bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world clinical care.
In this conversation, Ehsan walks us through his journey from engineering into medicine, and how combining multiple disciplines has allowed him to create impact in ways that traditional paths may not.
He shares how curiosity and openness led him to explore different fields, and why embracing uncertainty can actually accelerate growth. Rather than following a straight line, Ehsan’s career is built on experimentation, collaboration, and a willingness to step into the unknown.
One of the biggest challenges he highlights is managing too many opportunities at once. His solution? Learning how to prioritize what truly matters—identifying which responsibilities are “glass balls” that can’t be dropped, and which are more flexible.
 
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What does it take to stay strong, purposeful, and energized as you grow older? In this episode, Gary Mah sits down with Patricia Morgan to talk about resilient aging, emotional resilience, and how seniorpreneurs can keep learning, contributing, and thriving in every season of life.
Patricia shares her powerful personal story of overcoming anger, shame, and limiting beliefs to become an award-winning counseling therapist, author, and professional speaker. She explains how doing the inner work can change the direction of your life and why resilience is something we can build, strengthen, and live out every day.
In this conversation, Patricia talks about how people can discover their gifts and strengths, why connection matters so much for mental health, and how our thoughts shape the way we live. She also shares why aging does not have to mean slowing down, especially for people who still feel called to serve, create, and grow.
Listeners will hear Patricia’s thoughts on success, life purpose, self-compassion, trauma, and the importance of planning ahead financially while also staying mentally and emotionally engaged. Her message is clear: aging can be a time of wisdom, contribution, and renewed purpose.
 
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What really drives business growth? In this episode, Anne Chong shares why the right KPIs and root performance indicators can change everything for your company.
Gary Mah sits down with Anne Chong, Alberta-based entrepreneur and founder of Visual-Eyes Software, to talk about building a niche tech company, leading with clarity, and using metrics that truly matter. Anne shares how Visual-Eyes began in the early days of Windows-based systems and how understanding real clinic friction points helped them design a powerful, all-in-one practice management solution for optometry clinics.
Anne explains how Visual-Eyes supports clinics from appointment booking to billing, insurance, equipment integration, online forms, and automated communication. By focusing on solving real operational challenges, her team has grown from serving a three-location clinic to supporting practices of all sizes.
One of the biggest lessons Anne shares is the importance of creating the right metrics. It’s not just about tracking numbers. It’s about identifying root performance indicators that drive the behaviors needed for growth. When you measure what truly matters, you can make better decisions and build momentum.
 
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What happens when a world-class heart surgeon can no longer operate? In this powerful episode, Dr. Paul Fedak shares how losing his ability to perform surgery reshaped his identity, leadership, and definition of success.
Dr. Paul Fedak is a leading cardiac surgeon, surgical scientist, and thought leader based in Calgary, Alberta. For over 20 years, he has combined clinical excellence with translational science—bringing discoveries from the lab bench to the patient’s bedside. His work focuses on advancing surgical therapies for people with advanced heart disease while advising medical device companies on innovation, strategy, and impact.
In this episode, Dr. Fedak opens up about his journey into medicine and how early mentors at Toronto General Hospital inspired him to pursue cardiac surgery. He shares the meaning behind translational science and how innovation in healthcare requires both scientific rigor and human compassion.
The conversation takes a deeply personal turn as Dr. Fedak reflects on the life-changing neck injury that ended his surgical career. He speaks candidly about depression, identity loss, burnout in medicine, and the hidden pressures faced by high-performing professionals. Through that hardship, he discovered a broader definition of leadership—one rooted in growth, self-awareness, and helping others navigate challenges.
 
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What if the office you design today could easily adapt to tomorrow’s needs—without major renovations, downtime, or waste?
In this episode of the True North Success Podcast, Gary Mah and Amy Kim sit down with Russell Cook, Owner and President of Modular Interiors by Cooks, to explore how modular construction and raised access flooring are transforming commercial spaces across Canada and beyond.
With more than 20 years of experience in raised access flooring and underfloor air distribution, Russell shares how his company helps businesses create flexible, future-ready environments. Instead of traditional construction methods that lock power, data, and infrastructure into walls and ceilings, Russell explains how modular systems allow everything to be accessed beneath the floor—making it easy to reconfigure layouts as companies grow.
He uses the example of casinos—where layouts frequently change without visible wiring—to illustrate how raised access flooring supports seamless adaptation. This same concept can help offices evolve from 50 employees to 70 without expensive renovations.
 
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What if the biggest mistake entrepreneurs make isn’t choosing the wrong solution—but solving the wrong problem?
In this episode, Amy Kim sits down with Heather Barnhouse, Partner at Dentons, to unpack what it really takes to scale a business with confidence. With over 21 years of experience advising startups, innovators, and established companies, Heather shares practical insights on governance, partnerships, financing, and managing risk during growth.
Heather primarily works with women entrepreneurs in the growth and scalability phase. Whether that means raising capital, entering new jurisdictions, navigating regulated industries, or resolving partnership disputes, her approach is rooted in deeply understanding each client’s unique business model and risk profile.
One of the most powerful lessons in this conversation is the importance of clarity. Before seeking funding, restructuring a partnership, or pursuing expansion, Heather encourages business owners to first define the exact problem they’re trying to solve. Is it simply cash flow? Or is it “smart money” that opens strategic doors? The answer changes everything.
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What really happens on the frontlines of emergency medicine—and what can it teach us about living healthier, more intentional lives?
In this powerful episode, Gary Mah and Amy Kim sit down with Dr. Shazma Mithani, an emergency physician serving at the Royal Alexandra and Stollery Children’s Hospitals in Edmonton. Since 2014, Dr. Mithani has worked at the intersection of community care and acute care, supporting both adult and pediatric patients—often on the worst day of their lives.
Beyond the ER, Dr. Mithani is a passionate advocate for health literacy, equity, and public health communication. Through her writing, speaking engagements, social media presence, and her co-hosted DocTalk Podcast, she translates complex medical information into practical, easy-to-understand conversations that empower everyday people.
 
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What does it take to build a global design and manufacturing company from a garage in Edmonton? In this episode, Nick Kazakoff shares how he co-founded 126 Design and Loop Phone Booths, and scaled the business from two partners hustling after hours to an international brand shipping products around the world.
Nick walks us through the early days of launching the company out of his business partner’s garage on 126th Street—where the name 126 Design was born. What started as a passion for industrial design quickly evolved into a thriving manufacturing operation focused on commercial office solutions, including their innovative office pods and Loop Phone Booths.
We explore how Edmonton, often overlooked as a design hub, offers a powerful combination of strong manufacturing capabilities and top-tier industrial design talent from the University of Alberta. Nick explains why building locally while thinking globally has been a key part of their success.
 
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