As Mental Health Week continues, we continue to share some of the important mental health speakers we represent.
Séan McCann is a founding member of the massively successful Canadian band Great Big Sea, but his twenty years with the ensemble came to a halt in 2013 when he realised that he needed to deal with alcohol addiction and the sexual abuse he suffered as a young man. Since then, Séan has been devoted to bringing healing into his life and the lives of others. He does this by skillfully blending his works and his music in touching and eye-opening talks.
“I knew if I drank it, I’d lose my family,” McCann recently said to the Winnipeg Free Press. “Instead of picking up the bottle, I picked up the guitar — and I wrote my first song as a sober person.
Actually, one of my biggest fears when I stopped drinking and using drugs is that I would lose whatever that was. I was always under the influence. And you can tell that from the Great Big Sea catalogue, because the majority of the songs are literally about having a good time.
“I figured that was my muse or something. But as it turns out, it wasn’t.”
Dr. Bélanger is the CEO and founder of ConsciousWorks—a firm that helps everyone from executives to entrepreneurs maximize physical and mental wellbeing at work by using the latest in scientific research. She uses those insights into behavioural science research to optimize the performance, productivity, and innovation of leaders and teams–resulting in long-term change, competitive advantage, and incredible success. The best part is she does it in a way that injects personality and humour, allowing audiences to rethink their work lives in uplifting new ways.