Sage Advice With Hamza Khan

In the season finale of Sage Advice, Hamza Khan sits down with the sage who gave him his call to adventure—leadership educator, TEDx icon, and personal mentor, Drew Dudley. This is the conversation years in the making: raw, revelatory, and deeply healing. Drew reflects on his meteoric rise, painful falls, and his ongoing journey to reclaim strength, clarity, and self-love. Together, he and Hamza explore the unspoken weight of seeking parental approval, what it means to misread where you are in your hero’s journey, and why some of the most powerful advice we receive is the advice we struggle to believe ourselves. The two longtime friends speak candidly about mental health, the fog of ambition, and how storytelling—when done with honesty—can become a tool for transformation. Drew opens up about the loss of his partner, his mother’s dementia, and the moment a stranger’s words allowed him to forgive the past. From his iconic “lollipop moment” to his newest reflections on grief and guilt, Drew shares the truths he’s fought hard to uncover. His three pieces of sage advice: 1) Grief is just love coming face-to-face with its oldest enemy, 2) It’s not your fault, and 3) Know the compliment you’ve been searching your whole life for. This episode is a full-circle moment. It’s about letting go of shame, embracing the mess, and realizing that wisdom doesn’t always arrive with answers, but with better questions. A storybook conclusion to Season 1.

In the seventh episode of Sage Advice, Hamza Khan sits down with best-selling author and strategist Adam Rodricks for a fast, funny, and heartfelt conversation about love, ambition, and becoming more human in the process. As National Director of Social Growth & Experience at KPMG Canada, Adam shares the lessons he’s learned on stage, in therapy, and at home with his wife and daughter. He and Hamza talk shop about public speaking, walkout songs, parenting while keynoting, and the tug-of-war between comparison and collaboration. Adam opens up about the influence of his late therapist, the power of choosing the right partner, and the courage it takes to actually feel your feelings. His three pieces of sage advice: 1) The most important decision you’ll make is who you partner with. 2) Don’t compete. Collaborate. 3) To heal, you’ve got to feel. This is an episode about letting go of ego and learning to lead with heart.

In the sixth episode of Sage Advice, ⁠Hamza Khan⁠ welcomes tech educator, entrepreneur, and AI adoption advocate ⁠Avery Swartz⁠ for a hilarious and heart-expanding conversation about clarity, kindness, and carving a human path through the digital world. As the founder of Camp Tech and co-lead of AI Skills Lab Canada, Avery is on a mission to demystify technology and make AI accessible for everyone—especially women and non-binary entrepreneurs. Together, she and Hamza explore what it means to lead with radical empathy in an age of algorithms. They riff on everything from the wisdom of Martha Graham to the quiet devastation of burnout, and from maternal loss to the surprising poetry of website planning. Avery shares how the best advice she ever received became even better once she reframed it—inviting us not to seize the day, but to pluck it gently. With humour and honesty, she challenges hustle culture, dismantles tech gatekeeping, and offers a more gracious, grounded approach to learning, leading, and living. Avery’s timeless advice: 1) Pluck the day, 2) Be where you are, and 3) Don’t be a dick. This episode is a masterclass in compassionate clarity—with some of the best one-liners in Sage Advice history.

In the fifth episode of Sage Advice, Hamza Khan welcomes renowned leadership author, speaker, and trainer Tim Arnold, for a deep and soulful conversation about tension, paradox, and purpose. From launching and selling a business to leading a homeless shelter, Tim’s leadership journey is marked by courageous pivots and profound introspection. Drawing from life-changing decisions—like saying yes to a Wyoming ranch, a blind date that led to marriage, and stepping into service work—Tim shares how these moments shaped his philosophy of “lead with and.” A master of making complexity accessible, Tim opens up about the spiritual influences that helped him embrace life’s polarities: striving and accepting, beauty and brokenness, tradition and progress. He and Hamza explore how leaders can become bridge-builders in a world that often demands sides. With clarity and humility, Tim challenges us to let go of approval addiction, manage tensions rather than solve problems, and build a life that balances ambition with grace. Tim’s timeless advice: 1) Live your life in total polarity—touch both sides at the same time, 2) You don’t have to choose between striving and accepting, and 3) Don’t waste your life’s energy on what most people think. This episode is a grounded and generous meditation on wisdom, maturity, and the paradoxical power of leading with both strength and surrender.

In the fourth episode of Sage Advice, host Hamza Khan sits down with his wife—and soon-to-be mother of their twins—⁠Bailey Parnell⁠ (CEO @ SkillsCamp) for a heartfelt and visionary conversation on purpose, self-leadership, and the psychology of becoming. A globally recognized speaker, entrepreneur, and thought leader, Bailey opens up about the influence of her mentors, the transformative power of reverse-engineering success, and why leading with heart is her North Star. Drawing from wisdom like “act as if” and “fake it till you become it,” she explores how mindset shapes our reality and how we can step into our fullest selves. The episode also delves into matrescence—the profound psychological shift that comes with motherhood—and how it parallels the growth required of leaders. Bailey’s timeless advice: 1) Act from the place of the goal, 2) Expect the worst and hope for the best, and 3) Lead with love. This deeply personal episode is a powerful meditation on self-actualization, purpose, and becoming the leader your future needs.

In the third episode of Sage Advice, ⁠Hamza Khan⁠ interviews ⁠Janany Jayanthikumar⁠—a trauma and attachment expert—for a soul-deep conversation about healing, identity, and inner leadership. Janany, a seasoned social worker and founder of the Centre for Social Work Education, opens up about her own experiences with childhood trauma and dissociation, revealing how these early wounds shaped both her personal and professional journey. Together, they explore the power of understanding attachment styles—secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized—and how these patterns influence our relationships, leadership, and sense of self. Janany shares how addressing past trauma through modalities like spirituality and internal family systems therapy can catalyze lasting transformation. In this episode, she offers the timeless wisdom she would pass on at the end of her life: 1) What happened is leading to purpose, 2) You are the creator of your world, and 3) Trust your truth. This conversation is a tender, insightful guide to honouring your lived experience and stepping into your full power. A reminder that healing isn’t just personal—it’s profoundly generational.

In this luminous second episode of Sage Advice, ⁠Dr. Deena Shaffer⁠ joins host ⁠Hamza Khan⁠ for an inspiring, soul-expanding conversation about purpose, learning, and the quiet rebellion of choosing joy. A bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and the visionary behind Awakened Learning, Dr. Shaffer has dedicated her life to transforming education into an act of compassion. But it was the profound loss of both her parents in her mid-20s that clarified her life’s mission: to reduce suffering through meaningful, inclusive learning experiences. In this episode, Deena shares the timeless wisdom she would pass on at the end of her life: 1) Go right when everyone goes left, 2) Live life as if everything is rigged in your favour, and 3) Move in the direction of aliveness. Together, Hamza and Deena unpack these vibrant truths, exploring what it means to design a beautiful business, practice ethical entrepreneurship, and align your work with your wonder. From learning strategies to legacy, this episode is a tender blueprint for anyone seeking to live—and lead—with curiosity, integrity, and joy. Because sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is choose what feels most alive.

In the premiere episode of Sage Advice, Dr. Samra Zafar joins host Hamza Khan for a moving and deeply human conversation about healing, resilience, and the courage to lead with love. A child bride who escaped a decade of abuse, Dr. Zafar went on to become a celebrated psychiatrist, bestselling author, and global speaker. Through her work and her charity, Brave Beginnings, she helps others unlearn limiting beliefs and reclaim their agency. In this episode, Samra shares the timeless wisdom she would pass on at the end of her life: 1) Hurting people hurt people, 2) Everything happens for a reason, and 3) Make love more powerful than hate. Together, Hamza and Samra explore how these hard-won truths continue to shape her life’s work, from trauma-informed psychiatry to inclusive leadership. This conversation is a masterclass in living with purpose—and a powerful reminder that hope is not just a feeling, but a force.

Joshna Maharaj is a chef, two-time TEDx speaker, and activist. She believes strongly in the power of chefs and social gastronomy to bring hospitality, sustainability, and social justice to the table. Joshna is a regular guest on CBC Radio, a passionate public speaker, and co-hosts “Hot Plate,” a food and drink podcast. She was the recipient of Restaurants Canada’s Culinary Excellence Award in 2018. Her recent book, “Take Back The Tray,” is about her work building new models for institutional food procurement, production, and service. This book is a movement to reconnect food with health, wellness, education, and rehabilitation in public institutions around the globe. It is a passionate story about how a chef tried to disrupt the institution in hopes for systemic change.In this conversation, we talked about food insecurity, the power of values & purpose, system change, everyday activism, staying motivated through adversity, paying invisible taxes, and unlearning hustle culture.Connect with Joshna:Twitter: https://twitter.com/joshnamaharajInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshnamaharaj/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshna-maharaj-627772112/Website: https://www.joshnamaharaj.com/

Declan Edwards is a thought leader in the field of happiness and the Founder of BU Happiness College–an award-winning social enterprise growing global happiness. An avid believer in the potential of people, Declan has seen firsthand that when people are equipped with the strategies to manage their minds and master their emotions, they make a positive impact not only in their own lives but also in the lives of those around them. It is this impact that he is passionate about spreading. As a published author, podcast host, and keynote speaker Declan is actively bringing the skillset of happiness back to the people and creating a world where people can thrive. When he isn't working, you'll find him hiking and spending quality time with his wife and their two dogs, or you'll find him playing either country music or acoustic covers of RnB classics on his guitar.In this episode, we talked about mortality, the link between love & happiness, country music vs. R&B music, hedonic vs. eudaemonic happiness, ego death, transcending GDP as a measure of success, color coding calendars, and making decisions that align with our head, heart, and gut.Connect with Declan:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/declan-edwards-bu-coaching/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bu.happiness.collegeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bu_happiness_college/ AND https://www.instagram.com/declanedwards_bu/Website: https://buhappinesscollege.com/