Writing Through The Darkness with Corey Croft
The RebelRebel Podcast
“Let the ego shrivel up and die on the vine.” In this episode, Michael Dargie sits down with Vancouver-based independent author and publisher Corey Croft for a candid conversation about writing, depression, ego, and the strange compulsion to finish terrible books. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. Corey shares how his path to becoming a novelist began not with ambition, but with anxiety. During a difficult stretch marked by depression, he realized he always had “time” to write — he just wasn’t using it. A...
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Mr. Incredible's Business Case for Boldness with Robert Schmidt
The RebelRebel Podcast
“Awesome hides on the other side of fear.” In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with Robert Schmidt—brand strategist, educator, and senior skydiving instructor based in Calgary, Alberta. Robert runs a national brand strategy firm called Box, where he helps organizations figure out who they are, what they stand for, and how to connect with the people that matter most. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. Robert’s superpower? Helping brands be something for someone—not everything to everyone. He shares the...
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The Biker's Voice Goes Global with India Hayes
The RebelRebel Podcast
In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with India Hayes, founder of Bikers Hangout—a grassroots global movement for motorcycle riders. Broadcasting from Warrington, England, India shares how her idea to connect riders around the world began in a hospital while recovering from pneumonia. Frustrated by the lack of an international biker network, she started a Facebook group. That seed grew into Bikers Hangout, a multimedia platform complete with its own radio station, live shows, club directory, and growing global partnerships. India opens up about riding through personal health struggles,...
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From Academia to Identity with David Mendes
The RebelRebel Podcast
“Sometimes just doing more is not the solution.” In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with David Mendes, a bilingual podcaster, medical writer, and creator of Papa PhD. Originally from Portugal, raised in Belgium, and now based in Montreal, David shares his journey through academia, translation, and eventually podcasting as a form of rebellion and reinvention. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. After completing his PhD in biology, David faced the all-too-familiar crossroads many graduate students encounter: a lack of...
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Prompt Like a Pro with Tris Hussey
The RebelRebel Podcast
“Curiosity is what keeps me moving forward.” What happens when a former scientist becomes Canada’s first pro blogger, publishes four books, and now builds custom AI marketing tools for fun? In this episode, I talk with Tris Hussey about curiosity, content, and building a life around technology that empowers people. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with Tris Hussey, a lifelong technologist, educator, author, and self-described curiosity-driven geek. Based in...
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Neurodivergent by Design with Rebecca Prejean
The RebelRebel Podcast
In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with Rebecca Prejean, an artist, instructional designer, and fierce advocate for neurodivergent people in corporate learning. Based just outside Austin, Texas, Rebecca brings her lived experience as a mother of an autistic child into her work—designing training that’s inclusive, accessible, and actually usable by everyone, especially folks with ADHD, autism, and dyslexia. She shares the deeply personal story of her son’s diagnosis, how doctors told her he would never walk or talk, and how that experience shaped everything that came after. From early...
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Life Lessons from the Arctic with Heather Thorkelson
The RebelRebel Podcast
“You don’t need to know how—just know that it lights you up.” What happens when a creative rebel says yes to a fluke invite to Antarctica? In this episode, I talk with Heather Thorkelson about wild pivots, polar travel, and building a business with impact. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In this episode, Michael Dargie speaks with Heather Thorkelson—entrepreneur, polar expedition guide, and founder of PolarTracks Expeditions. From growing up as a third-culture kid to building a pair of polar travel...
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Keep the Cocktail, Fix The Brand With Shawn Soole
The RebelRebel Podcast
“I help people stop working in their business and start working on their business.” In this episode, Michael Dargie chats with hospitality veteran and industry provocateur Shawn Soole. With a career spanning nearly three decades, Shawn has seen—and done—it all. From washing dishes at 13 in Australia to building bar programs, authoring books, consulting internationally, and running a podcast, his journey is nothing short of relentless. And that’s exactly how he likes it. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. Their...
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Life as an Independent Vet with Dr. Beth
The RebelRebel Podcast
“Create the things you wish existed.” 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 , 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...
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Gen X Women Who Kick Ass with Oonagh Duncan
The RebelRebel Podcast
“Weight loss isn’t controversial in science, only on social media.” 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 , 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...
info_outline“Weight loss isn’t controversial in science, only on social media.”
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"
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