John Brink was born in Nazi-occupied Holland at the beginning of the Second World War. His early chilhood consisted of foraging for food with his brother and sister. His mother was left to raise the three kids alone when their father was drafted into the Dutch Army. They wouldn’t know if he was alive until the liberation of their village, by Canadian soldiers, on April 12, 1945. This was the exact moment John determined he would make his life in Canada … the land of his heroes.

He moved to Canada with with only $25.47 in his pocket. Ten years later, in 1975, he realized another lifelong ambition by founding Brink Forest Products. Over the decades, his company grew to become North America’s leading secondary manufacturer of value-added wood products. Today, at 84 years old, John continues to thrive as the President and CEO of the Brink Group of Companies, overseeing more than 10 additional enterprises. Beyond his business accomplishments, John is a passionate advocate for raising awareness about ADHD, a condition he has lived with his entire life. He is also a prolific author of four books and the host of the ON THE BRINK podcast, where he shares stories of resilience, innovation, and leadership.

We talk about growing up during WWII in Nazi-occupied Holland, childhood memories, living with PTSD and ADHD, moving to Canada with only $24, starting a lumber business, living a healthy and active life into old age, pills and whether or not to take them, communication skills, how ADHD can be beneficial, and much more.

Links can be found on the shownotes page

Support the show through Patreon

Katie Chambers owns and runs the editing agency Beacon Point, is an organizational expert, and is a former English teacher. In addition to editing and leading a team of editors, she teaches the craft of writing.

We talk about teaching, starting an editing business, training and education, proofreading, what's to love about grammar, copy editing and line editing, writing techniques, character interiority, free indirect speech, info-dumping, craft-writing book recommendations, spelling, artificial intelligence and Grammarly, why AI won't replace writers or editors, what makes a great book, writing good endings, common mistakes writers make, and more.

links are on the shownotes page here

Support the show through Patreon

Mark Synnott is a climber best known for pioneering big-wall first-ascents. His expeditions have taken him to places like Alaska, Baffin Island, Greenland, Iceland, Newfoundland, Patagonia, Guyana, Venezuela, Pakistan, Nepal, India, China, Tibet, Uzbekistan, Russia, Cameroon, Chad, Borneo, Oman and Pitcairn Island. Closer to home, Mark has climbed Yosemite’s El Capitan 24 times, including several one-day ascents. He is also the author of the book "Into the Ice," about his 2022 Northwest Passage adventure.

We talk about climbing, his book "Into the Ice," the Northwest Passage, living nomadically on a boat, the paralels between mountaineering and climbing, climbing in the arctic, close calls, spending 29 nights on a porta-ledge, serendipity and synchronicity with the Inuit, and more!

Photos and links are on the podcast show notes page

Support the show through Patreon