Ascend Legal 101

As a survivor of a very serious car accident, lawyer Lorenzo Oss-Cech knows the importance of focused client care and sound legal advice. Join us today as we take a preliminary look at the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia’s Enhanced Care system (or no fault system) that came into effect on May 1, 2021. This system was designed to increase client care and remove legal fees and other costs associated with motor vehicle accident claims decreasing costs to drivers. It also removed an individual’s right to sue and some think that puts injured and vulnerable people at risk. Whatever side you take, this is a quickly developing story that will be interesting to watch. As ICBC issued two cheques in recent months to drivers, the Supreme Court of British Columbia struck down as unconstitutional key provisions of the Civil Resolution Tribunal Act, and declared that it is unconstitutional for the government to simply re-assign the determination of accident claims to its own online tribunal

The first time I read Bill Yearwood's book "Getting It: Learning from Aviation Accident Investigations" I was in full-on fight-or-flight for at least the first 80 pages. So, I read it again. Once called Marlboro Man for his risk taking in both aviation and auto racing, after assisting friends’ widows, he went to work to set safer standards. Canadian Pilots and AMEs will recognize Bill Yearwood as the definitive accident investigator for the Transportation Safety Board, awarded the Governor General’s citation for his years of dedication to bringing safety considerations for aviation front and centre. Well, here it is now in print from the investigator himself—truly, a text book on learning to stay safe in flight from the volume of data acquired from accident investigations. Bill’s book is titled: Getting It. We suggest that you will start to Get It from the very first page, in fact, we suspect your next walk-around will reflect the message you got from Getting It. Personal

In this interview we run a range of topics from creating high functioning, high performance teams, leadership, and safe work culture, to every woman's "frying pan moment" like the end of a relationship to pregnancy loss. We talk about transforming our teams and our lives both personally and professionally. If you’re ready to create high functioning, high performing, diverse and inclusive dream teams that benefit from increased morale, productivity and maximized collaborations then today’s guest is someone you are going to want to meet. Leslie Rochelle, first and foremost, has her family at heart and believes in family first. In addition to being a wife and mother, she is a coach, mentor, international best-selling author, site-based advisor for one of Canada’s largest energy companies and the founder of Leslie Rochelle Coaching & Consulting.  Leslie has a passion for people and encouraging growth. Whether that be with career development, supporting others through ch

Businesses are experiencing staffing shortages far and wide. Are people really quitting their jobs at a scale and pace that we’ve never seen before? Is replacing staff impossible? Not exactly. How creative and open are you and your team when engaging and retaining staff? Are you providing opportunities for learning, growth, and development. Are you managing burn out? Let’s look at some solutions that organizations can use to capitalize on their creativity and open-mindedness to not only retain employees but attract new ones. I speak with firms all the time who tell me they are open to creative solutions only to find they clearly are kidding themselves and, quite frankly, lying to me. Not only is it a waste of my time and energy as a recruiter and consultant, they aren't doing themselves any favours in a market that requires an open mind, creative solutions, on-site training, and partnering with apprenticeship, college, and youth programs. To find out more about Ramona and what we

I cannot tell you how many people have asked us to move the long form discussions over to a podcast platform so we can go for a walk with them. You asked and we listened. Now all of our long form interviews can now be found on your favourite Podcast platform. Please take a look for Ascend Legal 101 on Podbean , Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeartRadio, Apple and Google Podcasts. W e are there! When I say we, I mean Me, and my voice, and my guests, and their wisdom. Podbean: https://ascendlegal.podbean.com/ To find out more about Ramona and what we are all up to at Ascend Legal 101 you can find us at www.ascendlegalrecruiting.com .

How did Gordon Swanson move from regulating safety and compliance, to assisting clients navigate the rigorous and complex safety management requirements in the aviation and aerospace industries? Today we find out in this long form discussion. Gordon is a mind reader. He answered most of my questions before I even asked him and he hadn’t even seen the complex diagram I created before our interview. And unlike any of the other regulators that I know, he’s a human being. (That was a joke, I know other regulators who are mostly human but they’re not speaking to me now for sure.) He is clear in his intention to serve the aviation and aerospace industry in the best way that he can. His new venture, QSSA (Quality Systems and Safety in Aviation) has been established to provide a specialized consulting service aimed at providing assistance to States, Civil Aviation Authorities and aviation and aerospace service providers in mitigating risks through the implementation of State Safety Programs a

I could have spent hours talking to this guy! Ever wonder about regulatory and other legal issues surrounding combat sports and how to navigate them? Me too! Join Erik Magracken and I, as we discuss: what a combat sports regulatory lawyer does, whether MMA and UFC fights are legal in Canada; protections for professional fighters who are potentially the most exploited athletes ever; the “Ali Act” and similar legislation; concussions and traumatic brain injury; and education, attitude, and safety in contact sports. That’s a lot. Erik is a personal injury and ICBC claims lawyer and combative sports regulatory lawyer, and is the managing partner at the law firm of MacIssac and Company in Victoria, British Columbia. His practice includes mainly plaintiff-only Personal Injury and Class Action Claims with a particular emphasis on claims involving orthopaedic injuries, complex soft tissue injuries, spinal cord injuries and brain injuries. His practice further includes navigating Combative S

Sure we all love a good strategic planning session but what if the team isn’t working as a team? Are you willing to be the issue? Are you willing to have people quit? Do you want your people to have a different understanding of strategy and outcome based on what department they are in? Sometimes people recognize their core values don't line up. Sometimes a company will set core values but they don't know how to BE their core values. Tracey talks about dealing with big energy, big differences, defining core values, redefining language – and outcomes - to create results that EVERYONE in the organization understands and agrees with. Watch the full interview with Tracey Burns, Master Certified Coach, here: https://youtu.be/kFyFNq_uslk You can discover more about Tracey at www.traceyburns.com . To find out more about Ramona and what we are all up to at Ascend Legal 101 you can find us at www.ascendlegalrecruiting.com . Now all of our long form interviews can now be found on your fa

We've got so much for you today. Join Tracey and I as we walk through how a cancer diagnosis triggered her transformational journey through law to finance to coaching. Propelled by her fascination with human nature and organizational culture we discus coaching, making course corrections, developing leaders from disempowered employees, team coaching, executive coaching, creating corporate change, coaching through strategic planning, and creative conflict. Tracey Burns who holds a Master Certified Coach credential granted by the International Coach Federation, is a Coaching Supervisor and is certified in Trauma Informed Practice. She has written and delivered a series of transformational programs over her 17+ years experience including The Bomb Proof Executive and Creative Conflict written specifically for individuals and teams to harness the power of crisis and conflict and stimulate innovation and creativity. Her coaching method is ontologically based, a cutting-edge approach tha

Ever wonder about skilled trades, apprenticeships, and the long-term job prospects that could be available to you? Me too. Skilled trades people are in demand. There's a massive shortage of skilled workers – which means jobs and opportunities for people with trades training, skills and certification. Today Brigadier-General (Retired) Gregory Matte and I discuss the history and issues surrounding apprenticeship programs, the benefits and pitfalls of different ideologies, and where industry goes from here. This guy knows how to fly fast airplanes, make war and peace, speak four languages, AND he knows a lot about apprenticeship programs in Canada. In fact, he wrote a whole PhD thesis about it titled: “A Critical Analysis of Apprenticeship Programs in British Columbia”. His resume is ridiculous and I am waiting for the book. Really. Brigadier-General (Retired) Gregory Matte is a former CF-18 fighter pilot and a Fighter Weapons Instructor “Top Gun” graduate with extensive operational

Sometimes the questions I ask my guests here at Ascend Legal 101 are very specific. That’s because I may bring them a situation that has come up with one of my clients. Although by the time I ask my guest the question, the issue for my client has usually been solved, it’s still useful to ask the hard questions. I am still floored when my guests think the scenario I brought to them was off-the-wall and wouldn’t happen in “real life”. Coaching is a partnership and starts with trust. There is a difference between minding your own business and assisting a client to think, analyze and self-reflect on their own solutions so that together you can create a strategy. Coaching is not counselling. Coaching is usually follows a more structured approach. I am constantly referring my coaching clients to counsellors, lawyers, or other professionals who can assist them with specific problems. We make it part of their strategy in accomplishing their goals. To find out more about Ramona and what we a

Welcome back to Ascend Legal 101 for Part 2 – Setting Healthy Boundaries with Marion Harding-Soare. Join Marion and I for a candid conversation discussing: finding tools to deal with your s**t; saying YES to what is meant for you; and saying NO without guilt, excuses, or justification. You can find a link to Part 1 (Internalizing Client Trauma and Setting Healthy Boundaries) here: https://youtu.be/jPRjA1LImb4 Marion Harding-Soare is a contract paralegal, teacher, and business owner, the current President of the Better Business Bureau of Vancouver Island and has over 30 years of experience in law firms and committees and board work in the legal community. To find out more about Ramona and what we are all up to at Ascend Legal 101 you can find us at www.ascendlegalrecruiting.com . Now all of our long form interviews can now be found on your favourite Podcast platform. Please take a look for Ascend Legal 101 on Podbean , Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeartRadio, Apple and Google Pod

Part 1 – Join Marion Harding-Soare and I for a candid conversation between friends and colleagues about internalizing our client’s trauma; setting healthy boundaries; telling the truth and practicing self-care. Part 2 is our next blog post and video and will discuss finding tools to deal with your s**t, saying YES to what is meant for you, and saying NO without guilt, excuses or justification. **TRIGGER WARNING** We are discussing some sensitive subject matter including internalizing client trauma, most particularly, historical sexual assault. Marion Harding-Soare is a contract paralegal, teacher, and business owner, the current President of the Better Business Bureau of Vancouver Island and has over 30 years of experience in law firms and committees and board work in the legal community. Now all of our long form interviews can now be found on your favourite Podcast platform. Please take a look for Ascend Legal 101 on Podbean , Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeartRadio, Apple and Go

The law has a few legal mechanisms available to analyze how a global pandemic may impact contractual obligations, including employment contracts. Today, employment lawyer, Dana Quantz, and I discuss unionized and non-unionized lay-offs and terminations, lay-offs vs. dismissal, continuation of benefits, frustration of employment contracts, mitigation of claims from both employee and employer perspectives; and how the CERB and CRB has affected wrongful dismissal claims. Important Note: People should seek their own legal advice tailored to their own situation. These discussions are for information and discussion only. You can discover more about this topic and Dana Quantz at www.hom-law.com where he also has a blog with up-to-date case law analysis on this subject and many more. Now all of our long form interviews can now be found on your favourite Podcast platform. Please take a look for Ascend Legal 101 on Podbean , Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeartRadio, Apple and Google Podcast

We said the B-Word - Burn out. And we talk about it too. Join us as we discuss leadership, making organizational and personal change and bringing out the best in the people around you. Leading with quiet confidence in a high stress environment, Darlene George, is manager with Nav Canada and started her career in air traffic control in 1992. Over the last 28 years she has worked as an air traffic controller, supervisor, instructor and for the last 9 years as a manager. To learn more about Darlene's work please visit: https://www.navcanada.ca To find out more about Ramona and what we are all up to at Ascend Legal 101 you can find us at www.ascendlegalrecruiting.com . Now all of our long form interviews can now be found on your favourite Podcast platform. Please take a look for Ascend Legal 101 on Podbean , Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeartRadio, Apple and Google Podcasts.

Do you know how much staff turn-over is really costing you? Is your corporate culture deliberate or by default? Intentional or haphazard? Personality driven or policy driven? Are your people supportive or toxic? Compliant or non-compliant? Builders or bulldozers? And what are you going to do about it? Janet Hodson, a Human Resource Manager at a mid-sized law firm, joined me for a long form Q&A where she didn't shy away from the hard questions about why law firm corporate culture is often not curated; it's inherited. For more information about Janet and her firm: https://johnssouthward.com/ To find out more about Ramona and what we are all up to at Ascend Legal 101 you can find us at www.ascendlegalrecruiting.com . Now all of our long form interviews can now be found on your favourite Podcast platform. Please take a look for Ascend Legal 101 on Podbean , Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeartRadio, Apple and Google Podcasts.

We keep hearing about the current economic conditions and the coming wave of insolvency for many people globally. I wanted to find out if this was true and what people can do about it. What no one needs right now are creditors calling and additional financial pressures while we are all trying to get through the current world situation. Chris Grew is a Debt Consultant, with 38 years in finance and debt consolidation. He has appeared on "The Wealthy Life" tv program, authored newspaper articles and been featured in magazines. Chris is highly regarded in the industry and takes great satisfaction in assisting clients who are in credit crisis regain their financial foothold and peace of mind. He applies his knowledge of the financial world to develop strategies to steer his clients out of debt, rebuild their credit and get on with life. Other Helpful Resources: Government of Canada Resource: https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/consumer-help/debt-collection/ Government of British C

I should have titled this video "How to Become a Human Light Sabre" or "How to stop craving sugar without trying". That's right. I started meditating in February 2020 and have meditated Every Single Day ever since - for over a year. As part of our discussion about dealing with your s**t, I thought I would take this opportunity to over-share. A year or two ago, my stress level was so high I thought I was having a heart attack ALL THE TIME. My health was terrible and my relationships were tanking. As a self-employed mother who was the President of everything, I was convinced I didn’t have the time to meditate. I was wrong. While this video is a little bit long and a little bit personal, it chronicles a year of meditation and transformation. For anyone wondering which meditations I use, I use many of the meditations available at Dr. Joe Dispenza’s website: https://drjoedispenza.com/ . What is going to be best for you depends on your own goals. I certainly have fa

In these uncertain times, as the risk to workers increases, the burden on employers to ensure that they are providing a safe work environment increases. Join lawyer, Dana Quantz, and I as we discuss the BC Workers Compensation system, safe work environments, and refusals to work due to the current world situation with a view to assisting both employers and employees to navigate this new environment. Important Note: People should seek their own legal advice tailored to their own situation. These discussions are for information and discussion only. You can discover more about this topic and Dana Quantz at www.hom-law.com where he also has a blog with up-to-date case law analysis on this subject and many more. Now all of our long form interviews can now be found on your favourite Podcast platform. Please take a look for Ascend Legal 101 on Podbean , Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeartRadio, Apple and Google Podcasts.

Trust is tricky. People are tricky. Right now there's a lot of uncertainty. Today we'd like to talk about the intention in building this community of ordinary people talking about extraordinary challenge and opportunity. We're addressing the feedback and letting you in on the conversations we are bringing to you in the next few weeks. Commercial aviation is so unsettled right now and there are a lot of people who want to change everything about aviation in Canada; a lot of which is manifesting in interesting ways in high-achievers. The jury’s still out. The business of law, however, has never been busier and the people I’m working with are hitting the wall. The HR piece is a whole animal of its own because the human resources part is about humans; and they are tricky. There is a very long back story to this project.  After having the same conversations over and over again with different people in different sectors, we sure discovered that we are so much more alike than diff

Janet Hodson, a Human Resource Manager at a mid-sized law firm, joined me for a long form Q&A where she didn't shy away from the hard questions or the hard answers. We start with the basics: putting a team together, resumes and references, and training. Then we hit the hard stuff: dealing with personal issues in the office, toxic employees, inequity, bullying, workplace harassment; and sexual harassment. **TRIGGER WARNING** We have made sure to use title cards in the video to alert you to discussion with sensitive subject matter. Now all of our long form interviews can now be found on your favourite Podcast platform. Please take a look for Ascend Legal 101 on Podbean , Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeartRadio, Apple and Google Podcasts.

Legal professionals are often one part legal professional and one part counselor. Now I meet with people all the time who come to me because they think they need a new job when, in fact, it turns out they really need to deal with a problem in their relationship, an alcoholic parent or partner, or a victim mindset they’ve been taking with them everywhere they go. It’s called baggage for a reason. Did you pack your mean girl or guy today? I’m not qualified to help with that but here is one person who can. Please join our first discussion about dealing with your s**t (I meant to stay stuff) with certified Martha Beck Coach, Margo Fosbery. Now all of our long form interviews can now be found on your favourite Podcast platform. Please take a look for Ascend Legal 101 on Podbean , Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeartRadio, Apple and Google Podcasts.

After having the same conversations over and over again with different people in different sectors, we sure discovered that we are so much more alike than different. Although we are often having conversations with people from different worlds – same problem – same solution that’s usually not rocket science – its guts. They likely can’t speak directly to each other because there might be some limitation or conflict. So I wanted to create a space where all of these different kinds of people can speak to each other free from “real or perceived conflict” – even if that means speaking to me or through me on a podcast or video.  And Ascend Legal 101 was born. We are excited about connecting legal people, airplane people, HR people, regulatory people, and people just like you and me. We're ordinary people talking about extraordinary challenge and opportunity. Inspiring possibility and empowering leaders (and people who don't think they're leaders... yet) to share their vision wit