Episodes

Author Jon Finkel talks about his new biography on the Macho Man Randy Savage! He shares the transformation from Randy Poffo>>Randy Savage>>Macho Man, the influence of his wrestling father Angelo and brother Leapin’ Lanny, his real-life marriage [and divorce] with Miss Elizabeth, his up and down relationships with Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon, the ongoing power of his Slim Jim meat stick endorsement, and visiting the site of Randy Savage's untimely death in Seminole, Florida. MACHO MAN: THE UNT...

NHL sniper Chris Kontos talks about his crazy hot 1989 playoff scoring run for Gretzky’s LA Kings, scoring FOUR goals in Tampa Bay Lightning’s inaugural game in 1992, winning an Olympic Silver Medal for Canada at the 1994 Lillehammer games, meeting Sylvester Stallone at the Fabulous Forum, his man-crush on Ron Duguay, and his amazing international hockey experiences playing in Finland/Sweden/Italy/Germany/Switzerland! For everything Chris Kontos, please go to https://www.chriskontos.com/ TORONT...

Breakfast Television's Frank ‘Frankie Flowers’ Ferragine talks about his Holland Marsh origins, running into the Stavros/Longos/Fortinos families at the Ontario Food Terminal, getting his TV start on CKVR because he was the only Ferragine who talked without swearing, giving gardening tips to George Clooney/Sir Richard Branson/Dr Mehmet Oz/Kardinal Offishall/Dion Phaneuf/Elisha Cuthbert, declares whether Anthony Farnell & Mark Cullen are friends/enemies/frenemies, shares stories from 299 Queen St...

Bloom CEO Ben McCabe talks about his entrepreneurial journey, removing the stigma from reverse mortgages/equity releases, marking the transition from accumulation to decumulation of wealth in the retirement savings journey, and whether Bloom needs a boffo spokesman to combat their competition’s use of Kurt Browning/Peter Mansbridge/Tom Selleck! For more on Bloom, please visit https://www.bloomfin.ca/ TORONTO LEGENDS is hosted by Andrew Applebaum at andrew.applebaum@gmail.com All episodes availa...

Canadian Income Tax Act Expert Kim G C Moody tells us what the ‘G C’ stands for, why he has a sock collection that rivals Prime Minister Trudeau’s, explains the difference between tax EVASION [illegal!] and AVOIDANCE [encouraged!], speculates on the tax-related reasons why Steven Stamkos may have chosen the Tampa Bay Lightning [Florida] over his hometown Maple Leafs [Ontario], explains how he squeezes the most out of his day with a 4:30am wakeup, and shares his bemusement at the ‘keyboard warrio...

Singer/Songwriter/Poet/Guitarist Rik Emmett talks about his days in Toronto power trio Triumph, explains why he was pictured on the back of the Allied Forces album in a Habs jersey [blasphemous!], why even today he suffers from bad GAS [Guitar Acquisition Syndrome], how Mike Levine’s bad spelling led to Richard becoming Rik, pulling up to YOUR high school in the 70s with a tractor trailer full of pyro/flash pots/propane torches, helicoptering to the 1983 US Festival to play in front of 375,000 o...

Breast Cancer Canada CEO Kimberly Carson talks about breast cancer being 50+ diseases at 5 different stages affecting both women AND men [the most diagnosed cancer worldwide], her focus on ‘precision oncology’ [personalized care], the differences between leading charitable vs non-profit vs for-profit organizations, why PREVENTION is the best way to stop breast cancer, being on the leading edge of implementing AI technology into research, HOW to ask donors for money, and why Progress is Beautiful...

Whole Body MRI Co-CEO and Chief of Radiology Dr Nirav Patel talks about full body screening, why they are the only clinic of their kind in Ontario, the misconceptions about ‘private clinics,’ the movement from reactive to preventative healthcare, why radiologists are the specialty with the most vacation time, and why Kim Kardashian raving about full-body scans is good for both patient awareness and autonomy! For more on Whole Body MRI, please visit them at https://wholebodymri.ca/ TORONTO LEGEN...

Former Labatt Brewing Company President Don McDougall shares the story of the birth of our Toronto Blue Jays, co-starring Paul Godfrey, Paul Beeston, Peter Bavasi, Pat Gillick, Herb Solway, Ted Rogers, Howard Webster, Page Wadsworth, Sydney Cooper, Charles Bronfman, Neil MacCarl, Bob McCown, Ray Kroc, Sid Oland and featuring a cameo by Alan Eagleson! TORONTO LEGENDS is hosted by Andrew Applebaum at andrew.applebaum@gmail.com All episodes available at https://www.torontolegends.ca/episodes/ Lea...

Shift Collab CEO Megan Rafuse talks about creating Canada’s Go-To Mental Health Company, why therapy is like going to the gym [and why choosing a therapist is like dating], how all business relationships are also human relationships, the importance of understanding your ‘Zone of Genius,’ bootstrapping a start-up with a co-founder who is also her husband, the industry challenges of her competition coming from venture/insurance-backed technology-driven therapy networks, running a company that is m...

Big Sugar’s Gordie Johnson talks about hanging around with ‘Uncle Charlie’ during the Rolling Stones’ Toronto rehearsals, Keith Richards stealing CDs from his duffle bag, enjoying relaxed table-talk with Eric Clapton, sharing enchiladas & Modelo Especials with ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, getting a superlative comparison to Eddie Van Halen courtesy of Joe Satriani, Rush’s Alex Lifeson gifting his double-neck guitar because it was affecting his golf swing, Mrs. Johnson’s need for an ice cream bar lead...

Journalist and Author Tim Wharnsby talks about his time at the Toronto Sun/Globe & Mail/Hockey Night in Canada and shares great stories about the characters involved in Canada’s 2002 Olympic Hockey Gold Medal team including Wayne Gretzky, Joe Sakic, Pat Quinn, Chris Pronger, Russ Courtnall, Bobby Clarke, Owen Nolan, Bob Nicholson and Bob Cole! BONUS MATERIAL: Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman...as human beings one is a stud, and one is a dud! Tim’s book Gold: How Gretzky's Men Ended Canada's 50-Yea...

Heritage Auction’s Consignment Director Jason Simonds shares the incredible story behind the discovery of the Holy Grail/White Whale/Loch Ness Monster/Bigfoot of hockey cards...a full case of 16 unopened/sealed boxes of 1979/1980 O Pee Chee NHL hockey cards, which may [or may not] contain an estimated 27 Wayne Gretzky rookie cards. The expected value when the auction process is completed is somewhere around $3 MILLION US dollars!!! And that doesn’t even take into account all those sticks of chew...

Ownr CEO Shane Murphy talks about helping entrepreneurs simplify starting their own businesses, why he came to Toronto as a victim of financial circumstances, his path of starting a tech platform that has been acquired by RBCx, the apparent hypocrisy of moving from starting HIS own business to now working for ‘The Man’ [only Canada’s largest bank!], Canadian entrepreneurship trends [micro-preneurs/solo-preneurs that are truly bootstrapping] and why we should STOP using the term ‘side-hustle,’ wh...

Director Simon Head talks about his documentary ‘Subversives–The History of Lowest Of The Low,’ the vital importance of having both ‘Low Karma’ and ‘Errors & Omissions insurance,’ the bravery needed to take on this project with NO prior film-making experience nor qualifications, the thick-skin needed during the editing process, his Mom’s stellar contributions to transcribing 35 hours of interviews, the surprising difficulties in procuring archival footage from CTV/Bell/MuchMusic/CBC, his interes...

Journalist/Broadcaster/Author Damien Cox talks about starting out from The Toronto Star’s Scarborough bureau [the Toronto Zoo beat], co-hosting Prime Time Sports with the Bobcat Bob McCown [otherwise known as The Cutting Edge...with listeners!], his afternoon show on The FAN and subsequent books with Gord Stellick, his stint on Hockey Night in Canada during the Strombo Years, his thoughts on the major players [Darryl/Lanny/Borje/Inge/Captain Video/Palmy/Tiger/Harold] involved in his new book on ...

Frameworth Sports Marketing President Brian Ehrenworth talks about his transformational business pivot experienced on The Madison’s patio as a result of beer + hockey sticks + ’The Killer’ Doug Gilmour, signing Mike Weir two weeks before he won the 2003 Masters, his industry-changing autograph exclusivity deal signed with a 15 year old Sidney Crosby [originally only done to save his Mike Weir deal!], his development of the Wayne Gretzky fantasy camps [and hitching a ride on The Great One’s priva...

Broadcaster Rod Black talks about his [former] moustache, his baseball-playing boys + the fabulous Butler bros [Rob & Rich], running away from home to meet Bobby Hull, DJ’ing at his Winnipeg roller rink, covering multiple Olympic Games, and his interactions with all of [but not limited to] Bill Cosby, O.J. Simpson, Bruce/Caitlin Jenner, Leo Rautins, Sir Charles Barkley, The Golden Boy Donny Lalonde, The Golden Jet Bobby Hull, Iron Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, John Shannon, Marv Albert, Morris ...

1000+ game NHL centreman Laurie Boschman talks about his 30 years working with Hockey Ministries International, getting the call [on a rotary phone!] from Harold Ballard that the Maple Leafs had drafted him 9th overall in 1979, checking into his hotel behind Andre the Giant and worrying that HE was attending the same training camp, the surreal experience of his first Maple Leafs’ training camp with Sittler/Salming/McDonald/Palmateer/Tiger Williams, as a rookie learning from ‘that old fossil’ Lea...

Glass Tiger’s Alan Frew returns to talk about his upcoming 80s/90s REWIND live concert, why Glass Tiger is the world’s most industrious most lazy band, his fear that a fan will tell him that their Granny finds him ‘hot,’ how an unsigned bar band from Newmarket opened for Boy George & Culture Club at Maple Leaf Gardens [and how he had to high-tail it back right afterwards to do his midnight shift as an orderly at Newmarket Hospital], how his ‘funny accent’ led him directly to both fights & romanc...

Broadcaster turned Author Lisa Bowes talks about starting out as a 'fliegen' at TSN, putting in the extra hours at Maple Leaf Gardens, taking over for Rod Black at CTV Winnipeg, working on CBC’s weekly documentary program Sports Journal, all the creativity & innovations that came out of The Score Television Network, calling Women's Ice Hockey [and Canada's Gold Medal] at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, convincing Gary Bettman to do his best ‘duck call’ live on TV, covering the ‘Finnish Flash’ Teemu...

Exhibition Place CEO Don Boyle talks about the logistics behind holding 1600+ annual events attracting 5.5MM visitors, the grandeur of the Princes’ [not Princess!] Gates, how many Torontonians' first job was working at the CNE, turning the area under the Gardiner into a cattle yard during the Royal Winter Fair, increasing access via Liberty Village/the existing GO station/the NEW Ontario Line station, the expansion plans for BMO Field ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup, the Exhibition Stadium base...

Former NHLer & two-time Stanley Cup champion Chris Dingman talks about the WHL bus rides during his 4 years playing Junior in Brandon MB, getting drafted 19th overall by the Calgary Flames, his first NHL game lining up against Stevie Y and the Red Wings, winning his first Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001, winning his second Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, his interactions with Tortorella/Belak/Bourque/Bowman/St Louis/Forsberg/Patrick Roy/Andreychuk/Sakic/Lecavalier, his overseas...

Nelson President & CEO Steve Brown talks about leading the digital transformation at a 110 year old business known as ‘that textbook company,’ moving from paper output into an immersive digital learning platform called EDWIN, why he insisted that NO users manual be required & that information be ONLY one click away, leveraging AI/generative AI/large language models, why his educational industry peers don’t like it when he uses the terms ‘customers’ or ‘consumers,’ the need to build a ‘safe sandb...