The Conversations with Florid

Privacy is Dead: The Unfiltered Reality of Cybersecurity | Rob Chaykoski

Sat, 23 May 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Most people hear the word "cybersecurity" and assume it is a massive corporation's problem. They think a simple compliance checklist means a system is secure. They are wrong.

In this episode of The Conversations with Florid, I sit down with Rob Chaykoski—a lead security engineer and veteran cybersecurity professional—to strip away the tech jargon and face a harsh reality: our modern digital infrastructure is heavily reliant on technology built in the 1960s and 1970s, and true privacy is an illusion.

As developers and founders building the next wave of AI and SaaS applications, we are often on the front lines of these threats. Rob and I discuss the critical difference between actual security and bare-minimum compliance, why artificial intelligence still desperately needs real human intelligence, and why grassroots tech communities are becoming our strongest line of defense.

We go deep on the vulnerabilities nobody wants to admit exist.

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📌 About Rob Chaykoski Rob Chaykoski is a Lead Security Engineer and seasoned cybersecurity professional. With a uniquely layered career, Rob specializes in breaking down complex security architecture and bridging the critical gap between software developers and security operations. He is a strong advocate for hands-on experience and community-driven tech defense.

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About the Podcast: The Conversations with Florid is a high-production, in-person podcast series dedicated to figuring out the pillars of a high-performance life. From the Top 1% in Canada to world-class experts, we bring you raw conversations on Education, Career, Entrepreneurship, Health & Relationship, and Finance.

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🔗 Connect & Subscribe:

🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eT7gdsYD

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eyX5cZG8

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TGi-siXuVCI

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Stay updated and get involved with us:

📩 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/floridmaclean

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florid_maclean?igsh=djlibHQ4ZWpzODN6&utm_source=qr

💡 Suggest a Guest for the Show: https://forms.gle/QNqeYaoFhoDPHeKY7

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If you got value from this episode, please hit the Follow button and share it with someone who needs to hear it!

Disclaimer: This video is intended solely for educational purposes. The opinions shared by guests are their personal views. This content does not intend to defame or harm any individual, brand, product, or country. Our goal is to provide diverse perspectives to help our audience make informed choices.

Thank you for listening,

Florid Maclean

What 7 Conversations Taught Me About Life, Career & Why I Started This Podcast

Sat, 16 May 2026 04:17:26 GMT

Seven episodes in, and I needed to have this conversation.

No guest today. Just me.

In this solo episode of The Conversations with Florid, I'm sharing

the story I should have told on day one — why I started this podcast,

what seven real conversations have taught me, and why I'm not stopping.

I was scared to show my face. Genuinely. For a long time I sat on

this idea, worried about what people would think. Then Raji RV and

I got on a virtual call and I told her I'd been sitting on this dream

for a while. She didn't give me a pep talk. She just said: "You start.

I'll be your first guest." That was the push I needed.

I also want to publicly thank my future wife, who has shown up to

every single recording — managing cameras, lighting, focus, and

batteries — while I got to be fully present in every conversation.

This show doesn't exist without her.

Here's what I cover in this episode:

- Why I almost never showed up on camera

- The one sentence that made me finally start

- What Chris Kulbaba taught me about identity over credentials

- Rashidi Kabamba's 1% rule and why rest is not the enemy of growth

- Reid Lucier on betting on yourself — and what you'd still do if money wasn't the thing

- James Smith on why emotional intelligence is the competitive advantage of our era

- Adam McNeill on why startups fail even with funding — and what founders get wrong

- Meagan Furnivall on building a MedTech company from 15 years of lived experience

- Why I keep going: the knowledge, the growth, the connections, and the community

If you've been sitting on something — a business, a project, a

conversation you've been putting off — this episode is for you.

Subscribe so you never miss a guest. And if you know someone whose

story belongs on this show, the guest submission form is in the show notes.

The Conversations with Florid drops new episodes regularly. Real

people, real lessons, no fluff.

From Delivery Room to MedTech CEO + The Unfiltered Truth on Women's Health | Meagan Furnivall

Fri, 08 May 2026 09:45:00 GMT

Most people think of midwifery as an old-school practice. They don’t picture a City-Wide Hospital Lead who is simultaneously building a MedTech empire. In this episode of The Conversations with Florid, I sit down with Meagan Furnivall—City-Wide Lead for Midwifery at LHSC and the CEO of Revara Care. Meagan is living a dual life: making life-and-death decisions in the delivery room while patenting medical devices and disrupting the women’s wellness space. We strip away the corporate medical jargon and get into the raw reality of navigating two completely different worlds. We discuss what the medical system continually gets wrong about birth, the steep learning curve of becoming a CEO without a business degree, and the grit it takes to refuse being put into just one "box." If you are a high performer trying to balance massive professional goals with personal identity, this conversation is your blueprint.

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Connect with Meagan Furnivall:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meaganfurnivall/ ────────────────────────────

Sponsored By:

PORT24 Technologies Inc. - Have a startup idea but don't know where to start? We help founders build their first MVPs. Turn your vision into reality. 🔗 Visit: https://port24.tech

Caleb Creations - Premium custom apparel, branding, and printing right here in London, ON. 🔗 Visit: https://calebcreations.ca

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🔗 Connect & Subscribe:

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VP3uthNYNVo

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Stay updated and get involved with us:

📩 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/floridmaclean

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florid_maclean?igsh=djlibHQ4ZWpzODN6&utm_source=qr

💡 Suggest a Guest for the Show: https://forms.gle/QNqeYaoFhoDPHeKY7

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If you got value from this episode, please hit the Follow button and share it with someone who needs to hear it!

Thank you for listening,

Florid Maclean

Why Your Startup Will Fail (Even With Funding) | Adam McNeill

Fri, 01 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Most founders think getting a government grant or VC funding means they've made it.

They're wrong.

In this episode of The Conversations with Florid, I sit down with Adam McNeill — founder of Founder Academy and one of the most honest voices in the Canadian startup world — to talk about the brutal realities of building a business that actually lasts.

Adam has spent over 20 years watching founders make the same mistakes over and over again. And his take is refreshingly direct: most businesses don't fail because of bad ideas or lack of money. They fail because of bad strategy, weak leadership, and a fundamental confusion between being busy and actually building something.

We go deep on the things nobody posts about on LinkedIn.

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📌 About Adam McNeill

Adam McNeill is the founder of Founder Academy — a free, community-driven space built specifically to give early-stage entrepreneurs the strategic clarity that nobody else is giving them. He believes most businesses don't have a demand problem, they have a clarity problem.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-real-adam-mcneill/

Founder Academy Google Meet Link (Every Tuesday at 6:00 PM EST): https://lnkd.in/gbBYk36j

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🤝 Sponsered By:

PORT24 Technologies Inc. - Have a startup idea but don't know where to start? We help founders build their first MVPs. Turn your vision into reality. 🔗 Visit: https://port24.tech

Caleb Creations - Premium custom apparel, branding, and printing right here in London, ON. 🔗 Visit: https://calebcreations.ca

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🔗 Connect & Subscribe:

🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eT7gdsYD

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eyX5cZG8

📺 Watch on YouTube:

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Stay updated and get involved with us:

📩 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/floridmaclean

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florid_maclean?igsh=djlibHQ4ZWpzODN6&utm_source=qr

💡 Suggest a Guest for the Show: https://forms.gle/QNqeYaoFhoDPHeKY7

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If you got value from this episode, please hit the Follow button and share it with someone who needs to hear it!

Thank you for listening,

Florid Maclean

The Unfiltered Truth on Emotional Intelligence with EQ Rockstar - James Smith

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Are you tired of waiting to be discovered?

In this episode of The Conversations with Florid, we sit down with James Smith, Founder & Head Coach of EQ Rockstar, to uncover the unfiltered truth about emotional intelligence, confidence, and identity. James breaks down his exact Core Identity Method™, explaining how mid-career professionals can transition from being completely "invisible" to undeniably "unmissable."

We strip away the typical motivational fluff and dive deep into "identity architecture." You'll learn the crucial difference between learned skills and your innate core gifts, how to control your emotional reactions during moments of intense frustration, and how to make rational, high-stakes decisions even when you are emotionally vulnerable. If you are done proving yourself and ready to start owning who you are, this conversation is your blueprint.

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🤝 SPONSORED BY:

PORT24 Technologies Inc. - Have a startup idea but don't know where to start? We help founders build their first MVPs. Turn your vision into reality. 🔗 Visit: https://port24.tech

Caleb Creations - Premium custom apparel, branding, and printing right here in London, ON. 🔗 Visit: https://calebcreations.ca

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📸 Connect with James Smith:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eqrockstar/

Website: https://www.eqrockstar.com

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🔗 Connect & Subscribe:

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bLHViBikykw

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Stay updated and get involved with us:

📩 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/floridmaclean

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florid_maclean?igsh=djlibHQ4ZWpzODN6&utm_source=qr

💡 Suggest a Guest for the Show: https://forms.gle/QNqeYaoFhoDPHeKY7

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If you got value from this episode, please hit the Follow button and share it with someone who needs to hear it!

Thank you for listening.

The Death of the Amateur: Why High-Value Branding Matters in the AI Era | Reid Lucier

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

What does it take to leave a successful career in 3D animation, move across the country, and launch a premium business in the middle of a pandemic? Join us as we sit down with Reid Lucier, the founder of Top Headshots, to deconstruct the blueprint of a successful career pivot and the mindset required to build a "Top 1%" brand from scratch.

In this episode, Reid reveals the "messy middle" of his journey—from the technical world of West Coast animation to becoming the go-to photographer for London, Ontario’s elite professionals. We dive deep into why most creatives fail at business, how to confidently charge premium rates for your art, and why the rise of AI is actually an opportunity for those who understand human connection.

Connect with Reid:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reidlucier/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/topheadshots.ca/

Website: https://www.topheadshots.ca

Connect & Subscribe:

Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eT7gdsYD

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eyX5cZG8

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa8PD4HBOS525iiBmD13vPQ

Stay updated and get involved with us:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/floridmaclean

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florid_maclean?igsh=djlibHQ4ZWpzODN6&utm_source=qr

Suggest a Guest for the Show: https://forms.gle/QNqeYaoFhoDPHeKY7

If you got value from this episode, please hit the Follow button and share it with someone who needs to hear it!

Thank you for listening.

When Your Big Dream Doesn't Scale | Rashidi Kabamba

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Join us as we sit down with Rashidi Kabamba, a leader who bridges the gap between high-level HR and the science of Music Therapy. In this conversation, Rashidi shares his unique journey from the world of robotics to becoming an architect of corporate resilience. We deconstruct the "1% Rule" for daily growth, the hidden power of music in managing high-stakes stress, and how to build a mindset that can withstand the pressures of a Top 1% career. If you’ve been feeling the weight of burnout or looking for a sustainable blueprint for performance, this episode is for you.

About the Podcast: The Conversations with Florid Maclean is a high-production, in-person podcast series dedicated to figuring out the pillars of a high-performance life. From the Top 1% in Canada to world-class experts, we bring you raw conversations on Education, Career, Entrepreneurship, Health & Relationship, and Finance.

🔗 Connect & Subscribe:

🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eT7gdsYD

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eyX5cZG8

📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa8PD4HBOS525iiBmD13vPQ

Stay updated and get involved with us:

📩 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/floridmaclean

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florid_maclean?igsh=djlibHQ4ZWpzODN6&utm_source=qr

💡 Suggest a Guest for the Show: https://forms.gle/QNqeYaoFhoDPHeKY7

If you found value in this conversation, please Subscribe and hit the notification bell.

If you got value from this episode, please hit the Follow button and share it with someone who needs to hear it!

Thank you for listening.

Why Your Resume is Dead & the "Core Word" Strategy by Chris Kulbaba

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 16:23:03 GMT

Join us as we sit down with Chris Kulbaba to completely rethink how we approach career growth and hiring. If you're still relying on a traditional resume to land your next big role, you might already be behind. In this episode, Chris breaks down why the standard resume is dead, introduces his game-changing "Core Word" strategy to help you stand out, and shares the powerful mindset shift behind his personal motto: "I'm too blessed to be stressed." We dive deep into authentic networking, overcoming career anxiety, and building success on your own terms.

About the Podcast: The Conversations with Florid Maclean is a high-production, in-person podcast series dedicated to figuring out the pillars of a successful life. From the Top 1% in Canada to world-class experts, we bring you raw conversations on Career, Health, Love, and Entrepreneurship.

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📚 Chris Kulbaba's "Personal MBA in 6 Months" Reading List:

Read 2 books a month — Read 30 minutes a day.

Zero to One - Peter Thiel and Blake Masters

The Lean Startup - Eric Ries

Financial Intelligence - Karen Berman, Joe Knight, John Case

I Will Teach You to Be Rich - Ramit Sethi

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing - Al Ries and Jack Trout

The Goal - Eliyahu M. Goldratt

Thinking in Systems - Donella Meadows

Steal the Show - Michael Port

Never Split the Difference - Chris Voss

How to Be a Power Connector - Judy Robinett

Team of Teams - General Stanley A. McChrystal

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant - Eric Jorgenson

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📺 Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/ABt2CKPsHtw

Stay updated and get involved with us:

📩 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/floridmaclean

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florid_maclean?igsh=djlibHQ4ZWpzODN6&utm_source=qr

💡 Suggest a Guest for the Show: https://forms.gle/QNqeYaoFhoDPHeKY7

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Connect with Chris Kulbaba:

📩 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrispkulbaba/

If you found value in this conversation, please Subscribe and hit the notification bell.

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#FloridMaclean #CareerAdvice #ResumeTips #JobSearchStrategy #PersonalGrowth #Entrepreneurship #ChrisKulbaba #TheConversationsWithFlorid #Podcast

Breaking Into Tech Sales: The Hidden Blueprint | Raji RV | Ep. 1

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 01:36:12 GMT

Welcome to the very first episode of The Conversations with Florid ! We are often told to succeed, but we are rarely given the blueprint. This podcast is dedicated to uncovering the habits, mindsets, and strategies of the "Top 1%"—the leaders and builders who have navigated the messy process of figuring it out.

For our debut episode, we sit down with Raji for a deep dive into the "Big Tech" perspective. We explore what it actually takes to break into high-level tech spaces, how to navigate the intense pressures of the industry, and the unwritten rules for building a high-performance career without burning out.

If you are an entrepreneur, a student, or a professional trying to elevate your life and career, this conversation is your starting line.

🎙️ In This Episode, We Cover:

The reality of working in the "Big Tech" ecosystem.
How to transition from feeling stuck to taking actionable steps.
The "Top 1%" habits that separate high performers from the rest.
Practical advice for building resilience when the blueprint isn't clear.

🔗 Connect & Subscribe:

Watch the video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FloridMaclean
Follow on LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/florid-maclean⁠
Follow on Instagram: @florid_maclean
Suggest a Guest: ⁠forms.gle/ez9Dky3zF9vMLiMU7⁠

If you got value from this episode, please hit the Follow button on Spotify and share it with someone who needs to hear it!

Thank you for listening.