Today I welcome to the show Tamira Ci Thayne, author, animal activist, book designer, and founder and former CEO of Dogs Deserve Better. She reached out to me to produce an audiobook, Reboot Ranch by Eileen Watkins and I just fell in love with Tamira’s purpose – to inspire, assist and entertain animal lovers, activist and rescuers in your fight for the animals. She fits perfectly into my theme of READ and CREATE. Think Books for Animal Lovers, think books that tug on your heart strings and you want to learn more about rescue operations, slaughter houses, adoption and donating. Welcome to the show Tamira!
QUESTIONS I’M DYING TO KNOW ABOUT TAMIRA
First break: How did you get into this, how did the name come about, Who Chains You? What happened that changed you?
Second Break: How did you get a passion for saving animals? Younger?
Third Break: What was the start of the book…after Dogs Deserve Better?
Fourth Break: What would be your ideal, infrastructure to get your business where you want it?
Fifth Break: Do you read all of the books you publish? Whats the Criteria?
Sixth Break: Do you have a favourite book in your repertoire?
Seventh Break: The Olympic Animal Sanctuary, true story?
Eighth Break: It went to the Dogs, Tamira’s Book
Ninth Break: Eileen Watkins book Reboot Ranch (insert retail clip)
Tenth Break: Her platform for people to tell their stories?
Eleventh Break: List off some of the more unique stories about animals in your publishing house? Snails, Hermit Crabs, Sloth Bears (dancing bears)
Twelth Break: A book that has done so well, unexpectedly, think rats!
Thirteenth Break: How do you read these books, does it take a toll?
Fourteenth Break: Starfish Story..
Fifteenth Break: Who’s your audience?
Sixteenth Break: The books that Tamira writes..
Eighteenth Break: The people who harm animals…
Nineteeth Break: A personal story about turtles that has impacted me..
Twentietth Break: One piece of advice for helping animals and rescue shelters..
Twenty Onth Break: Tamira asks me…
Twenty Second Break: What’s next for Tamira. & What is a Piegon Shoot?
Todays Show is with Founder and owner of Calling Mountains Productions, Valerie St-Arnaud. Growing up in Quebec offered a wealth of inspiration but as she grew older there was always something calling her away from the city lights and when she arrived in Whistler, BC in 2013 she realized it had been the mountains all along. Valerie has her degree in Communication and Marketing from the University of Ottawa specializing in media studies. In 2012 she won the Ottawa international film festival and that’s when her passion for film started. She is known to bring the feels right to your screen. She is passionate about her art form but even more about her clients. You will find her capturing memories and chasing the light in and around the Sea to Sky corridor. The mountains called her here and now she is returning the favor. See you in the mountains… They are calling!
some of Valerie St-Arnaud’s work
BREAK THREE: (5:38) let’s just dig into this a little bit. This was in 2012 the criteria for the submissions are things like, must be live streaming (no download required) language (English and French or French with subtitles), presentation copies, your typical deadlines, transportation and insurance to ship materials, selection process, now if you’re selected your requirements for type of file, sound quality, bios, photos, payment for submission, renumerations, and the different juries things like short film, international and children’s which are judged by children, pretty cool hey. We get into more detail about this shortly..
More of Valerie’s work…can’t you feel the emotion in these photos?
WHAT A NEAT WAY TO MAKE SOMEONE COME TO LIFE AND LIFE
BREAK FIVE: If you haven’t listened to my episode with Valerie Butters do, she is so casual and creative. Also Pemberton is located in British Columbia approx 160km from Vancouver, only 25km from the beautiful ski resort Whistler. This place is for people who love winter for the snow sports, cross country skiing, back country skiing, ice fishing, snowmobiling and more…that fresh mountain air, can you just feel that – my favourite feeling is that!
BREAK SIX: I originally interviewed Valerie St Arnaud back in April of this year so at the start of covid here in Western Canada…we did the interview over Skype, she in her tank top, and ball cap, me in my favourite chair sitting cross legged…wanting to know her secrets to film, photography and creating these incredible memories in still and motion…
BREAK SEVEN: the basic rules for operation of a drone when you don’t have a licence – which is most of us – the drone must be under 250 grams in weight, there’s very specific areas that you are allowed to fly this tiny vessel so check your local regulations – Val here is so much to have someone who’s fully liscenced to help her with her videos as when you take the time to stop by you’ll be amazed at what she captures.
BREAK EIGHT: did you catch that slight tip she gave us – is you shoot your image and it’s blown out or too bright because of the sunny day…change it to black and white and voila you have a great photo!
BREAK NINE: chasing the light is her motto – did you catch that tip put the palm of your hand and if it shows shadows move until the light is brighter – boom you got good light on your subject!
BREAK TEN: get confidence, get creative and gain confidence..
BREAK TWELVE: wow what a story. You know I think this is something that we all need to hear, even tho we are here to do a job weather it be me podcasting or this Val in her specialty we will run into people that are critics and want to be heard in an opposing manner. Life is full of stories and here’s one that had made it’s mark on Val – she will always remember this women, who in the end gave Val more strength in the end to own her craft.
BREAK FIFTEEN: It seems so long ago when I interviewed her – and we are still even more heavily effected by the corona virus. Obviously the wedding photographers will be effected and who wanted to have a wedding with the new rules of just 10 people at this very moment in Nov when I wrote these show notes.
BREAK SIXTEEN: if you’re not a wine drinker you can skip this part…but BC is known in canada for their amazing wines, grapes like no other place in canada and their wines have a special classification of wines with distinction meaning 100 percent of the grapes come from bc – which is incredible and shows the abundance of the volume of grapes available for these saught after wines.
BREAK SEVENTEEN: she has so much depth to her personality, lives life to the fullest and captures so many memories for herself and her clients. She’s diverse running her business that crossed many business types, she’s smart and grounded. Yep we could be friends…
FIND HER SHOW LINKS and pictures of the images we chatted about today – check these out!
End – well that was such a refreshing interview, she’s so lively and neat to speak with, I can’t wait to interview her again, saving the indigenous languages…
As always visit my show notes for the images and links to this awesome guest Valere St.- Arnaud from Pemberton British Columbia and check her our instagram page of Calling Mountains and her website Callingmountains.ca
The next week, it’s a recap of the last 99 shows, an intro to the show, a snippet for each episode and I’m squeezing in 20 shows per episode..If you’ve missed any over the years this will be a great recap. I had so much fun looking back, I’ve remastered these also
Thank you for hanging with me throughout all 99 shows…
Well 2020 has been a year of changes, growing and getting back into my personal growth. It’s been a long year, having been laid off at the end of January 2020, then covid erupting, learning how to be a teacher – can I add this to my resume? Diving into Audio Books as a side gig turned serious gig. EATing – READing and CREATing at every possible turn, with DiY projects – cooking and consuming books veraciously – to keep my sanity.
This has been a year of incredible life marks, that will forever change me and you too likely. Let’s celebrate my 100th show!
So if you’re new this show, thanks for stopping by as this will be a great introduction for you and my style of show…if you’ve been with me from the start, these snippets shall take you back…some 3 years ago.
Todays show is a collection of snippets from my first 20 episodes and the variety that the listeners have come to love, a haunted wedding location, safety, intruder, warden, expatriate, foodies, inventions, investigations and more.
To keep you entertained London my 9 year old daughter will be taking over the microphone and providing you with show titles and details for parts 1 and 2…
Episode 4 – Bowling Anyone? Alarm Clock & Beer Tidbit A great family night of free bowling at Craft Brewery – my 6 yo (at the time) waking by alarm clock – she still isn’t a morning person – and the best beer tidbit slash benefit in beer pouring you could ask for – is in this episode – take a listen (artwork updated)
Episode 5 – Intruder in Mount Pleasant No need for me to even read these show notes, my 6 year old and I caught a burglar in our garage robbing us, stealing our things, sitting in my car…touching my stuff, Take a listen!
Episode 6 – Broadcasting for Corrections INTERVIEW: My first guest is my step-sister Janice and discussing her incredible job in communications, writing and public relations, we get personal about her car accident that took her out of grade 8, our parents meeting and her career involvement.
Episode 7 – Interview with a Warden From the interview in Episode 6 with Janice, this interview is with her fiancé This interview shows the kindness of this warden and even tho the people we are speaking of (they may have something hidden in a hole in their body and not being their ears) are still people, they still matter, maybe what they did was unsavoury but that was their action not their whole character. This was a two part episode.
Episode 8 – Expatriate in Quatar Born in Calgary Well I was at my parents for Christmas so I did a whole slew of interviews and my dad in his quiet ways shared his story about working as an expat overseas, and about being born right here in Calgary – what a lifetime of travel my dad, Michael has conquered. This was a two part episode.
Episode 9 – Calgary Tower vs Wellingstons vs The Keg If you are from Calgary and Western Canada these 3 places are a must stop for food. The as I compare my 3 favourite places…which one do you think comes in at the top? Sky 360, Wellington’s of Calgary or The Keg?
Episode 10 – I’ve been Summoned…have You? I have always wanted to be on jury duty, since my dad was on jury duty when I was in my teens – the victim of his jury duty case was a girl named Valerie…here’s my (almost) story of Jury duty!
Episode 11 – All Hail The Ceasar & Ginger Beef Did you know the Ceasar cocktail made with Worcestershire sauce, vodka and Clamato juice along with Ginger beef – sliced thin ginger beef in a candied ginger coating – were created in Calgary…here’s the deets!
Episode 12 – Q & A between Mom and 6 year old Daughter By far a show that’s gone down in our history as a family, we loved making this episode and have wanted to do more – something that is worth doing with your kids – so hilarious. Also remember at the top of the show – this is where most podcasts flounder – episode 12 and I’m still grooving!
Episode 13 – Thrifty Princess Consignment Interviewing the store owner at the time was so fun! How she got into owning this great consignment store and the haunted happenings within the store itself. Did you know there’s a hole in the dirt wall beneath the store that….take a listen
Episode 14 – Enjoying Summer in Calgary This episode is kind of like an ode to Calgary and what it has to offer up! Village Ice Cream – try the 2 hills Earl Grey – in a back alley with great views to a container market – you cannot miss have having a bulldog at Julio Barrio’s – well used to have one, as this place didn’t make it through Covid!
Episode 15 – Investigating Calgary in the 1970s I was looking for a great story about Calgary so…I went old school and headed to the Library with daughter in tow…I found these two cases which btw are my top two listened podcasts of all time…this episode is the sneak peak on these.
Episode 16 – New Show Music – Auditions – InterView This episode I sort of own this podcasting thing more & more…first my professional produced music by a local Artist Jason Schnell (he’s also my hubby’s cousin) then I audition for a drama production called Girl in space – received the nicest rejection letter & I narrate for a another podcast called Forgotten News – stories from Long ago I’m a guest on another Calgary show called Mess Hall Podcast – food and good convos
Episode 17 – InterView with Jason Schnell – TASCAM 40 The guy that wrote my original show music and our Q and A InterView style- if he could interview or meet anyone he would pick, Jesus – listen here to find out why? (Artwork updated)
Episode 18 – Calgary Cold Case 1976: Patsy McQueen & Eva Dvorak This is my top viewed blog and podcast of all…this is a Calgary, Alberta Cold Case story from 40 years ago, date 1976. 2 girls 11 years old go missing, bodies found – and it’s still cold – listen to this clip – there’s a follow up show in progress (artwork updated)
Episode 19 – Turk + Valerie, 17, yellow, furniture The Significance of Anniversary’s even from the Governor General in Canada, meaning of gemstones, colours and more specifically the number 17 -my favourite number. And our 17th Anniversary, yes I call my husband Turk (artwork updated)
