What happens when a little girl obsessed with animals grows up, faces down fear, and builds a vet clinic on a dream? In this episode, Beth Barrett shares her story of grit, independence, and what it really means to live in alignment with your values.

This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU, helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world.

In This Episode

In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with veterinarian and entrepreneur Beth Barrett about her decades-long career, her passion for animals, and the power of doing hard things. From her clinic just outside Calgary, Alberta, Beth shares what it took to build her dream practice—complete with an indoor dog arena, a fancy chicken coop, and the best damn surgery suite this side of anywhere.

Beth knew she wanted to be a vet since she was a kid, and she never looked back. But the path wasn't without its setbacks. After a serious horseback riding accident, she had to decide whether to quit or face her fears. She chose to ride again. That decision changed her.

She and Michael talk about everything from the corporatization of veterinary care, to why tired dogs are good dogs, to Stoic philosophy and dried mango. Beth opens up about the joys of riding, training, and how teaching dogs stretches their bodies and their minds. Her message to rebels in waiting: do hard things. That's where the growth is.

Quotable Quotes

"Create the things you wish existed."

"A tired dog is a good dog."

"The growth I've experienced in life has come at those hard spots."

"Doing hard things will make you extraordinary."

"You don't get stronger when things are cushy."

Episode Highlights

Becoming a Vet | From childhood dream to lifelong career.

The Power of Vision | Turning a horse farm into a full-service clinic.

Private vs. Corporate | Why independence matters in vet med.

Doing Hard Things | How fear almost kept her out of the saddle.

Training for Health | Dog yoga, strength, and stretching.

Riding for Joy | The magic of working equitation.

Dog Park & Arena | Why tired dogs are good dogs.

Fill Your Bucket | What Beth does to recharge.

Favourite Place | Cycling and hiking in the Tonto Preserve.

Favourite Season | Autumn, and what it teaches us.

Rebel Advice | Do the hard thing.

Links From Episode

Barrett Veterinary Practice Website (http://barrettvet.ca)

Dr. Beth on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/barrettveterinarypractice/)

Dr. Beth on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/barrettveterinarypractice)

Get Your Copy of Michael's Book:
"BrandJitsu™: Move Your Brand From 'Meh' To Memorable"
Indigo | Barnes & Noble | MichaelDargie.com

What happens when a former smoker and self-described non-athlete turns into one of Canada's most refreshing voices in fitness and habit formation? In this episode, I talk with Oonagh Duncan about Gen X women, body neutrality, the power of pleasure, and her dream of fronting an 80s hair band at brunch.

This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU, helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world.

In This Episode

In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with Oonagh Duncan—fitness coach, author of Healthy as Fck*, and host of the podcast Goals, Grit and Some Woo Woo Shit. From her home on Salt Spring Island, BC, Oonagh shares how she helps Gen X women build habits that actually stick, even when nothing else has before.

Once a reluctant exerciser who smoked and hid from gym class, Oonagh discovered the power of habits while walking on a salvaged treadmill, watching Jerry Springer. That single act of curiosity led her to build Fit Feels Good, an online community helping women find fitness through pleasure, not punishment.

She and Michael talk about niching down, the evolution of the fitness industry, and how new weight-loss drugs like Ozempic are transforming the conversation around health. Oonagh also opens up about her beginnings as a fat activist, her pivot to inclusive wellness, and why the ectomorph-mesomorph body type theory belongs in the past.

Beyond business, she talks about life on Salt Spring Island, Sunday hikes, fart reels, fake meat, and why living in a small community has taught her to be kinder. They also dive into her creative past as a playwright, the pain of a sophomore flop, and why her next big dream involves spandex, power ballads, and brunch.

Her message to rebels in waiting: don't wait to have everything figured out. Move toward whatever feels warmer, follow the good feelings, and the rest will come.

Quoteable Quotes

"If you hate exercise, you just haven't made it small and pleasurable enough." — Oonagh Duncan

"Don't be a dick." — Michael Dargie

"Weight loss isn't controversial in science, only on social media." — Oonagh Duncan

"You just have to move towards warmer." — Oonagh Duncan

"Living on an island makes me a better person—reluctantly." — Oonagh Duncan

Episode Highlights

Finding Her Niche | Why Oonagh focuses on Gen X women and habits that feel good.

Fitness for Everyone (Almost) | The lessons from bootcamps and niching down.

The Weight Loss Shift | How GLP-1 drugs are reshaping the wellness industry.

Habit Loops | The treadmill, Jerry Springer, and discovering pleasure in movement.

Body Neutrality | From fat activism to inclusive health conversations.

Small and Pleasurable | The secret to habits that stick.

Island Life | How community keeps her accountable and kind.

Fake Meat & Fart Reels | Her unapologetic guilty pleasures.

Sophomore Flop | The tough lesson from her second play, Talk 60 to Me.

Brunch Rock | Her dream of fronting an 80s hair band… before noon.

Rebel Advice | "Move toward the warmer."

Links From Episode

Fit Feels Good (http://www.fitfeelsgood.com/)

Oonagh on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/oonaghduncan)

Oonagh on Facebook (http://facebook.com/fitfeelsgood)

Get Your Copy of Michael's Book:
"BrandJitsu™: Move Your Brand From 'Meh' To Memorable"
Indigo | Barnes & Noble | MichaelDargie.com

What happens when a broadcaster-turned-salesman discovers that giving is the fastest path to success? In this episode, I talk with Bob Burg, co-author of The Go-Giver, about kindness, influence, and building a life around service.

This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU, helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world.

In This Episode

In this episode, Michael Dargie speaks with Bob Burg, speaker, author, and co-creator of the international bestseller The Go-Giver. Known for its simple but powerful message—that shifting focus from getting to giving leads to success—The Go-Giver has sold over a million copies worldwide and become a staple in leadership, business, and personal development .

Bob shares how he stumbled into sales after early stints in radio and television. With no formal training, he failed fast—until a desperate trip to a bookstore introduced him to the work of Tom Hopkins and Zig Ziglar. Devouring their books, he quickly learned that sales wasn't about talking people into something, but about providing real value. That discovery launched a lifelong pursuit of learning, leading him into the world of personal development classics like How to Win Friends and Influence People and Think and Grow Rich .

The conversation spans from his childhood dream of playing third base for the Boston Red Sox to his career as a sought-after speaker, traveling the world to talk about influence, persuasion, and service. Bob explains why nobody buys because of your quota or goals—they buy because they believe they'll be better off. He also shares stories about life in Jupiter, Florida, with his rescue cat Buddy, his admiration for hockey legend Bobby Orr, and his simple joys like reading over coffee and bagels .

Looking ahead, Bob is reworking his book Adversaries into Allies into a new edition called Genuine Influence: How to Master the Art of Persuasion, slated for release in 2026. His advice to "rebels in waiting" is grounded and practical: know your cause, find systems and mentors, take action, persist through the no's, and never mistake failure for finality .

At its heart, this episode is about shifting perspective—success isn't about self-focus, it's about making every person and moment better off for having crossed your path.

Quoteable Quotes

"Nobody's going to buy from you because you have a quota. They buy because they believe they'll be better off." — Bob Burg

"Success is really an inside job. It starts with what you put in your head and heart." — Bob Burg

"The highest purpose of life is to make each moment better off because it passed by you." — Bob Burg

"Kindness is never wasted—it expands into greatness." — Bob Burg

"Our job in business is to be the Yoda. The customer is the Luke." — Michael Dargie

Episode Highlights

The Go-Giver | Why giving first creates success.

From Radio to Sales | How failure led Bob to personal growth.

Discovering Systems | Learning from Zig Ziglar and Tom Hopkins.

Inside Job | Success begins with mindset and personal development.

Jupiter Life | Bagels, coffee, and reading with his rescue cat, Buddy.

Sports Memories | From dreaming of the Red Sox to admiring Bobby Orr.

Travel & Speaking | 35 years of conferences and lessons from the stage.

Genuine Influence | His next book on persuasion and people skills.

Advice to Rebels | Know your cause, persist, and learn from failure.

Links From Episode

Bob Burg Official Website (https://burg.com)

Get Your Copy of Michael's Book:
"BrandJitsu™: Move Your Brand From 'Meh' To Memorable"
Indigo | Barnes & Noble | MichaelDargie.com

In this episode, Michael Dargie sits down with Jodi Krangle, a professional voice actor, singer, and host of the Audio Branding podcast. Based just north of Toronto, Jodi has been a full-time voice actor for nearly two decades, lending her voice to clients around the world while exploring the psychology and power of sound .

Jodi shares how her journey started in the mid-90s when she volunteered at CNIB, recording articles to reel-to-reel tape for the visually impaired. Years later, after burning out in SEO and internet marketing, she returned to the idea of voice acting and built a thriving career from scratch .

She talks about running The Muse's Muse, one of the earliest songwriting websites that grew into an online community of thousands, and how those lessons in marketing and community-building set her up for success in voiceover work. She also explains what it's like to balance union and non-union work, how AI voice technology is changing the industry, and why genuine acting and emotional authenticity will always set human performers apart .

The conversation also explores her passions outside of the booth—role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, a massive dice collection, and anime storytelling that blends lighthearted fantasy with deeper themes of love, loss, and memory. Jodi reflects on pivotal moments, like overcoming stage fright as a teenager, and shares her philosophy that "comparison is the thief of joy." Her advice for rebels in waiting is clear: run your own race, build relationships with clients who value you, and never assume you need to follow someone else's path .

"Some of the things we think are going to be so super important, just aren't really that important." — Jodi Krangle

"Run your own race." — Jodi Krangle

"The number one thing you're paying a voice actor for is to not waste your time." — Jodi Krangle

"Good audio makes everything look better." — Michael Dargie

Finding Voiceover | From CNIB volunteer work to professional voice actor.

Leaving SEO Behind | Why she pivoted from internet marketing to audio.

The Muse's Muse | Running a thriving online songwriting community in the 90s.

Stage Fright Lessons | Learning resilience from performing in high school.

Life in the Booth | Home studio vs downtown Toronto sessions.

Union vs Non-Union | Balancing Canada and U.S. work in a changing industry.

Clients That Matter | Building long-term relationships with people who value you.

Dungeons & Dragons | Dice collections, role-playing, and storytelling as improv.

Anime & Webcomics | Finding new perspectives through storytelling media.

The AI Question | Why authentic acting still beats a cloned voice.

Sound Matters | How audio branding influences trust and perception.

Advice to Rebels | Run your own race and stop comparing yourself.

Website (https://voiceoversandvocals.com/)

Jodi on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/)

Jodi on Facebook (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/)

Jodi on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/)