Today on the podcast, I speak with the lovely Maggie Hildebrand, founder of Connection Collective Toronto, and something tells me one day it will be much bigger than just Toronto!

Maggie founded the social club in June 2025 after spending over a year in the city struggling to find her community. By openly sharing her own experiences with loneliness, she quickly realized there were so many others searching for meaningful connection and a space dedicated to building genuine, lasting friendships.

What started as a simple idea grew rapidly. From hosting her very first event, a picnic in High Park with over 100 attendees, to building a thriving community, Maggie’s vision has truly come to life. So much so that in February 2026, she made the decision to leave her 9–5 career in cancer research to pursue Connection Collective full-time. I’m so excited to share this conversation with you and hope you take something meaningful away from it.

Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, and join the Seasoned Professional community, a space for stories worth sharing 🎙️

🔗 Links from the episode

Connection Collective

Connection Collective on Instagram

Maggie Hildebrand on Instagram

She Moved to Toronto and Felt Lonelier than ever, feature article in The Toronto Star

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YouTube

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Seasoned Professional on Instagram

Hannah Octavia on Instagram

TikTok

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See you next Tuesday!

xx Hannah Octavia

(Theme music curtesy of Fran Lusty's song, "Functioning Adult")

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Today on the podcast, it’s just me, Hannah Octavia. The Seasoned Professional community has reached an incredible milestone: 500 downloads in 30 days!

That means we’re already halfway to being able to monetize the podcast, something that once felt impossible. So this week, I wanted to take a moment to reflect, say thank you to this amazing community, and chat your ear off for about 15 minutes. I hope you enjoy!

Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, and join the Seasoned Professional community, a space for stories worth sharing.

🔗 Links from the episode

"My Goal Was Freedom": How Charlie Follows Built a 1 Million Strong Yoga Community

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YouTube

📲 Find Hannah Octavia & Seasoned Professional on social media!

Seasoned Professional on Instagram

Hannah Octavia on Instagram

TikTok

Substack

See you next Tuesday!

xx Hannah Octavia

(Theme music curtesy of Fran Lusty's song, "Functioning Adult")

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the podcast, I speak with Charlie Follows, a YouTube yogi who has built a community of over one million people. She began her career teaching in studios, but quickly realized that creating a balanced, sustainable life wasn’t possible by simply adding more in-person classes. At one point, she was teaching up to 20 classes a week, driving between studios, and trying to make ends meet, it wasn’t sustainable. So, Charlie began the transition to YouTube.

Today, she’s created over 1,000 free yoga videos, built a thriving online business, and recently launched her first teaching program to help other yoga instructors turn their virtual content into a career. In this episode, we explore Charlie’s childhood, growing up as an only child, navigating a rebellious phase in high school, and how she ultimately found her way back to herself through yoga. This is a conversation about building a life on your own terms, and a reminder to never judge a book by its cover.

Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, and join the Seasoned Professional community, a space for stories worth sharing.

🔗 Links from the episode

Charlie Follows on Instagram

Yoga Teacher School

Charlie Follows on YouTube

Charlie Follows Yoga Programs

Nicole Addison's Episode

Judah Armani's Episode

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YouTube

📲 Find Hannah Octavia & Seasoned Professional on social media!

Seasoned Professional on Instagram

Hannah Octavia on Instagram

TikTok

Substack

See you next Tuesday!

xx Hannah Octavia

(Theme music curtesy of Fran Lusty's song, "Functioning Adult")

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the podcast, I speak with filmmaker, artist, environmental activist, and founder of Trailbound Sketches, Max Romey. I first came across Max at the Banff Film Festival, where his short film My Grandmother’s Sketchbook premiered. The film follows Max as he travels the world recreating sketches his grandmother drew more than 30 years ago. With over 6,000 sketches to revisit, he estimates the project could take the next 100 years.

Max’s films blend powerful storytelling with his favorite form of communication, watercolor. Growing up with dyslexia, he often struggled to express himself, until his grandmother introduced him to painting at a young age.

In this episode, we explore different forms of communication, overcoming obstacles, and what it’s like collaborating with some of the biggest names in purpose-driven storytelling, including Keen, GoPro, and Mark Ruffalo on his short film A Little Story About Forever.

Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, and join the Seasoned Professional community, a space for stories worth sharing.

🔗 Links from the episode

Trailbound Sketches

Trailbound Sketches on Instagram

Trailbound Sketches on YouTube

Max Romey

Banff Film Festival

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YouTube

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Instagram

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See you next Tuesday!

xx Hannah Octavia

(Theme music curtesy of Fran Lusty's song, "Functioning Adult")

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

⚠️ Content warning: This episode includes discussions around medical assistance in dying (MAID), voluntary assisted dying (VAD), suicide, cancer, and the loss of loved ones. If this episode raises anything for you, support is available. In Canada, you can contact the Suicide Crisis Helpline at 988 via telephone or text 24/7.

Today on Seasoned Professional, I sit down with wedding and funeral celebrant Kate Morgan, founder of Melbourne-based memorial service Tomorrow Funerals. After a career spanning marketing, consulting, and design, Kate experienced a life-changing cancer diagnosis that led her to reevaluate everything, and ultimately find her calling in celebrating both life and death.

Kate’s work is centered around creating deeply personal ceremonies that reflect the individual, challenging traditional expectations of what a funeral or memorial “should” look like. From beachside gatherings to unconventional celebrations of life, her approach is about honouring people in ways that feel authentic and meaningful.

Our conversation covers so much, from Kate’s journey through multiple careers and her own confrontation with mortality, to the loss of loved ones that inspired her to build Tomorrow Funerals. We also explore how the funeral industry is evolving, and why rethinking the way we say goodbye can be such a powerful part of how we live.

I hope you enjoy this conversation. Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, and join the Seasoned Professional community, a space for stories worth sharing.

🔗 Links from the episode

Tomorrow Funerals

I do Drive Thru Weddings

Kate Morgan Celebrant

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YouTube

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Instagram

TikTok

See you next Tuesday!

xx Hannah Octavia

(Theme music curtesy of Fran Lusty's song, "Functioning Adult")

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on Seasoned Professional, I sit down with registered dietitian and nutritionist Nicole Addison, the creator behind Nourished by Nic and a thriving online community of over one million followers. Known for her approachable, delicious, and nutrient-dense recipes, Nicole is on a mission to make healthy eating feel realistic, enjoyable, and sustainable.

In this episode, we explore Nicole’s journey, from the simplicity of childhood eating habits to navigating the challenges of building a healthy relationship with food in early adulthood. She shares how she grew her platform from the ground up, staying true to her philosophy of nourishing both body and soul.

We also dig into some popular nutrition questions and myths, including the best milk alternatives and how much protein we really need, cutting through the noise with practical, evidence-based insights.

This is an honest, refreshing conversation about food, balance, and building something meaningful.

Don’t forget to follow, subscribe, and join the Seasoned Professional community, a space for stories worth sharing!

❤️ Find Nicole:

Nourished by Nic

Instagram

Substack

TikTok

🔗 Links from the episode:

Dreading Lunchtime Prep? Fresh ideas for the school year ahead

Here's How To Cut Back Your Grocery Bill With Low-Cost Staples From Dollarama

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YouTube

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Instagram

See you next Tuesday!

xx Hannah Octavia

(Theme music curtesy of Fran Lusty's song, Functioning Adult)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

⚠️ Trigger warning: this episode includes discussion of sexual assault, the loss of a parent and moments of not wanting to wake up.

I sat down with Kelly Childs, the other half of Kelly’s Bake Shoppe, for a conversation that felt deeply personal and reflective.

Kelly shares stories from her childhood, growing up with an incredibly creative and loving father who shaped so much of the way she sees the world. She opens up about how he changed during her teenage years, and about the experience of losing him suddenly at 62, the exact age she is today. We talk about what it feels like to reach the age your parent was when they passed, and the perspective that brings to both life and memory.

Our conversation also explores how Kelly has learned not to identify with negative experiences, but instead to acknowledge them, accept that they happened, and focus on moving forward with intention and compassion.

She shares the journey behind founding her businesses, Kindfood (now Lettuce Love Café) and Kelly’s Bake Shoppe, and what it’s really like building and running companies alongside family.

It was an honest, thoughtful, and inspiring conversation that offers another side of the Kelly’s Bake Shoppe story, and a perspective on resilience, healing, and choosing growth even after life’s hardest chapters.

🔗 Links from the episode

Kelly Childs

Kelly's Bake Shoppe

The Kelly and Erinn Show Podcast

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YouTube

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Instagram

Interested in being a guest on the podcast?

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See you next Tuesday!

xx Hannah Octavia

(Theme music curtesy of Fran Lusty's song, Functioning Adult)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

⚠️ Trigger warning: this episode includes discussion around mental health and moments of not wanting to wake up.

I sat down with Erinn Weatherbie, one half of Kelly’s Bake Shoppe, for a conversation that stayed with me long after we finished recording.

We talk about Erinn’s childhood and how “healthy food” was never labeled that way in her home, it was just food. She shares the story of starting a business with her mom while still in university, and the huge transitions that have come with working together for more than 15 years.

Erinn opens up about the mindset that carried her through it all: the power of positive thinking, deciding that failure was never an option, and redefining what failure and success actually look like when you align them with your own purpose.

Our conversation also touches on the harder chapters, the impact of COVID-19 on small businesses, navigating cancel culture that ultimately led to the loss of a book deal, and the mental health challenges that can come with having both your business and your character questioned publicly.

It was an honest, thoughtful, and incredibly inspiring conversation that I personally took so much from. I truly hope you listen with an open heart.

🔗 Links from the episode

Erinn's Instagram

Kelly's Bake Shoppe

The Kelly and Erinn Show Podcast

❤️ Subscribe to my channel for more

YouTube

📲 Find Seasoned Professional on social media!

Instagram

Interested in being a guest on the podcast?

Click to apply!

See you next Tuesday!

xx Hannah Octavia

(Theme music curtesy of Fran Lusty's song, Functioning Adult)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.