In a time of accelerating climate change, biodiversity loss, and species decline, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But Jane Goodall has long reminded us that hope is not passive, but rather it’s something we practice.

Alison Cuffley, Senior Manager of Canada Programs at the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada shares how Jane Goodall’s extraordinary legacy lives on today through youth leadership, community action, and intergenerational responsibility.

At the heart of the conversation is Roots & Shoots, the Institute’s global youth program that empowers young people to take meaningful action for people, animals, and the environment. Alison shares how youth are already leading on climate, biodiversity, and social justice, and why supporting their leadership is essential to the future of our planet.

This is a conversation about legacy; not as something we leave behind, but as something we build together.

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You can find a full list of our sources for this episode, and the back catalog at www.whatswhatpod.com.

Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Heather Harris. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

You can find a full list of our sources for this episode, great merchandise and our whole back catalog at www.whatswhatpod.com.

Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by this podcast. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

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

How would you behave in a high stakes, high risk situation with thirteen lives in the balance? Would you be able to remain calm? Would your mind be clear? Could you make the decisions necessary to take the next step forward?

Meet John Volanthen, one of the world’s most accomplished cave rescue divers and the author of 13 Lessons for Thirteen Lessons that Saved Thirteen Lives: The Inside Story of the Thai Cave Rescue. John became widely known during the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue in Thailand, when he and fellow British diver Rick Stanton were the first to reach the trapped youth football team and confirm they were alive. He was an integral part of the team that shaped the plan to extract the children and their coach, adapting to what seemed to be insurmountable conditions.

The operation became a masterclass in problem-solving; turning an impossible situation into a series of workable steps.

John and I discuss fortitude and resilience as trainable skills, not personality traits. This conversation focuses on the strategies that are helpful in high-risk environments: mental rehearsal, visualization, and decision-making when the margin for error is zero.

We unpack what “calm under pressure” really looks like, how elite rescuers rehearse for the unthinkable, and how everyday listeners can apply these principles to hard conversations, major life decisions, and moments when life gets hard.

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You can find a full list of our sources for this episode, and the back catalog at www.whatswhatpod.com.

Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Heather Harris. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

You can find a full list of our sources for this episode, great merchandise and our whole back catalog at www.whatswhatpod.com.

Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by this podcast. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

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

If you could write one thing to the people you love, what would it be? How do you want to be remembered when you have left this earth?

Rabbi Steve Leder, bestselling author of For You When I’m Gone, joins me to explore ethical wills, grief, and the quiet, brave power of telling the truth with love.

We talk about the messy reality of dying and mourning; what people avoid saying, what they wish they had said sooner, and how silence serves no one. Rabbi Leder shares what an ethical will really is, why it is for everyone, not just for those close to the end. He also shares practical guidance for putting your values, your stories, blessings and hard-won wisdom into words. The most meaningful inheritance is not money or "stuff". It is the clarity, the connection and the love that we can share with our loved ones.

This episode goes deep, it’s practical, and it’s very deeply human.

Special Note: This episode includes conversation about death, dying, grief and end of life planning. Please listen with care. This episode also contains some mild profanity, which in my opinion, is the spice of life. This interview was conducted in December 2025.

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You can find a full list of our sources for this episode, and the back catalog at www.whatswhatpod.com.

Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Heather Harris. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

You can find a full list of our sources for this episode, great merchandise and our whole back catalog at www.whatswhatpod.com.

Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by this podcast. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

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

In this episode, I’m joined by Dana Chapman, mother, yogi and entrepreneur, for an honest and deeply human conversation about parenting a child with disabilities and what this experience has taught her about undiscovered courage, resilience, and love.

Dana shares what the early days really felt like, how her family navigated the many appointments and unfamiliar systems, and how she finds the balance between protecting her child and empowering him. We talk about the isolation, the fear but also the gratitude that is unearthed on this journey, and the moments of fierce hope that can show up in unexpected ways.

If you’re parenting a child with a disability, supporting a loved one who is, or simply want a fuller understanding of what families carry, this one is for you.

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You can find a full list of our sources for this episode, and the back catalog at www.whatswhatpod.com.

Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Heather Harris. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

You can find a full list of our sources for this episode, great merchandise and our whole back catalog at www.whatswhatpod.com.

Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by this podcast. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

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

In this episode, we look to the heavens with astrologer Lady Samantha for a grounded, hopeful conversation about astrology as a living practice; one that invites reflection, meaning, and personal agency.

Together, we explore how astrology can be used as a tool for self-understanding and resilience. Lady Samantha shares enlightening insights for the years ahead, offering perspective on what the skies might suggest about our collective journey, and how we can meet the future with calm, courage, and curiosity.

The learning? Perhaps the most ancient wisdom can bring the greatest light.

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You can find a full list of our sources for this episode, great merchandise and our whole back catalog at www.whatswhatpod.com.

Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Heather Harris. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

You can find a full list of our sources for this episode, great merchandise and our whole back catalog at www.whatswhatpod.com.

Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by this podcast. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

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

In this episode, I sit down with Donna Armstrong, author of Getting Here From There: The First 10 Years, for a powerful conversation about truth-telling, accountability, and resilience.

Donna’s memoir explores the hidden darkness within a family system marked by abuse and silence and the extraordinary resilience required to survive it. But this is not just a story about trauma. It’s a story about reclaiming one’s voice, integrating the past, and building a meaningful, successful life rooted in truth.

Set against today’s wider cultural reckoning, where individuals and institutions alike are being called to account, Donna’s story resonates far beyond the page. Together, we explore how judgment can obscure truth, why bearing witness matters, and how healing can become an act of fierce hope, not just for ourselves, but for the world we are shaping.

This episode is for anyone navigating their own “getting here from there” moment, and needs some hopeful company on the journey.

Content Warning

This episode contains explicit language and discussion of sensitive topics, including childhood abuse, sexual abuse, sexual references, disordered eating, trauma, and family dysfunction. These conversations are presented with care and intention, but may be distressing or triggering for some listeners.

Listener discretion is advised.

Please take care of yourself, and feel free to pause or skip this episode if needed.

If you or someone you love is struggling, support is available.

In Canada: Talk Suicide Crisis Helpline: 1-833-456-4566 or 45645 (text).

Listeners elsewhere: local crisis services or findahelpline.com can help you find support in your area.

You can find a full list of our sources for this episode, great merchandise and our whole back catalog at www.harrisandwalker.com.

Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Harris and Walker. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

You can find a full list of our sources for this episode, great merchandise and our whole back catalog at www.whatswhatpod.com.

Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by this podcast. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

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

In this powerful and deeply illuminating episode, I sit down with historian, author, and storyteller Dr. Brandy Schillace to explore her groundbreaking book The Intermediaries: A Weimar Story. Together, we trace the remarkable true story of the early pioneers of gender-affirming care; the patients, physicians, and visionaries who carved out space for human dignity in one of history’s most turbulent eras.

Brandy brings this lost chapter of queer and trans history to life with warmth, compassion, and razor-sharp insight. We discuss the dazzling modernity of Weimar Germany, the world-changing work of Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, and the courage of those who lived “in-between". We also reflect on how the advent of Nazism continues to reverberate in our present day.

But above all, this conversation how we may develop the capacity to understand one another more fully through inhabiting our own bodies and claiming our identities with joy and through community. When we honour our complexity and difference, we become more fully human ourselves.

*****

Content Warning:

This episode includes discussion of sex, gender-affirming medical care, historical violence, self harm and suicide. Though these topics are handled with sensitivity, respect, and care, please use discernment in listening.

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You can find this episode's show notes and sources at whatswhatpod.com.

Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Heather Harris. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

You can find a full list of our sources for this episode, great merchandise and our whole back catalog at www.whatswhatpod.com.

Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by this podcast. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

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

The end of the world or the start of something new?

Humanity has always been fascinated by apocalypse. From ancient prophecies to The Last of Us, the stories we tell of the end days shine light on who we are and what we fear most.

In this premiere episode, I sit down with Dr. Scotty McQueen, a scholar, performer, and digital media expert, to explore where apocalyptical thinking, the digital age and hope intersect.

Listen now and join me in asking: is there a sunny side to the apocalypse?

#WhatsWhatPodcast #HeatherHarris #PodcastLaunch #Apocalypse #Curiosity #EndTimes #TheLastOfUs #DigitalAge #NewBeginnings #NewEpisode

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You can find a full list of our sources for this episode, great merchandise and our whole back catalog at www.whatswhatpod.com.

Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Heather Harris. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

You can find a full list of our sources for this episode, great merchandise and our whole back catalog at www.whatswhatpod.com.

Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by this podcast. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

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