This week, we’re revisiting our most-listened-to episode — a powerful conversation with Caroline Brunt, RN, street nurse, educator, and co-creator of the award-winning documentary Bevel Up.

Caroline shares what decades of outreach and harm-reduction work have taught her about leadership, trust, and meeting people where they are. This episode explores the quiet, often invisible skills that matter most in healthcare leadership: presence, humility, non-judgment, and genuine human connection.

It’s a conversation about learning through discomfort, challenging assumptions, and remembering that people are never problems to be fixed — they are human beings shaped by complex systems, trauma, and resilience.

If this episode resonated the first time you heard it, it’s worth returning to. And if you’re listening for the first time, this conversation offers a powerful reminder of what compassionate leadership truly looks like.

In this episode, Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah, Co-Director of Policy and Advocacy at Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, shares her path from an early, instinctive feminism to becoming a respected national advocate. She offers a clear look at Action Canada’s work advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights in Canada and globally, and why this work remains as urgent as ever.

Debbie breaks down the systemic and political barriers that continue to limit equitable access to care, highlighting how narratives shape policy—and how shifting those narratives can change outcomes. She also speaks to the power of communities working together to influence decision-makers and push for a more just, responsive healthcare system.

Grounded, thoughtful, and deeply informed, Debbie’s insights cut through noise and rhetoric. She closes with practical, realistic advice for young activists who want to contribute meaningfully to this work.

A thoughtful conversation for anyone interested in advocacy, equity, and the future of healthcare.

Marilyn Wacko, Executive Director of the Alberta Nurses Educational Trust (ANET), discusses her role in advancing nursing through education and research. ANET, a unique charity in Alberta, provides grants for continuing education, research, and scholarships to improve nursing practice and patient care. Marilyn highlights the importance of funding nursing projects with immediate healthcare impacts and shares inspiring stories of beneficiaries. She also addresses the challenges in nursing research funding and emphasizes the need for greater awareness and support for the profession.