Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
TTLR EP672: Amy Rivard - What Is Freedom?
0 Playsin 5 hours
“People need to see these things. They need to know the truth... Our freedom is such a gift, such a blessing, and we need to preserve that.”
The movie The Puppeteers just came out two days ago, and with the Canadian election upon us, this episode couldn’t come at a better time. We’re releasing it a day early so you can hear the truth, think clearly, and vote with confidence.
Freedom is the foundation for creativity, business, and a good life. Without it, innovation dies, opportunities shrink, and people lose the power to shape their future. In this episode, we talk about why freedom matters—not just for politics, but for entrepreneurs, families, and communities—and why staying awake and aware is more important than ever.
Our guest is the lead actor of The Puppeteers. She shares how the script opened her eyes to the real threats happening inside Canada today, from foreign interference to secret police stations. Through real stories and raw experiences, we’re reminded that democracy isn’t automatic—it’s something we all have to stand up and protect.
Amy Rivard is a Canadian actress and singer who's performed worldwide and now stars in The Puppeteers. Her work brings powerful stories of truth and courage to life.
We encourage everyone to become informed, to value the right to vote, and to support efforts that expose corruption.
“If each of us is a thread in this resistance, only by linking together can we sever the strings of the puppeteers.” - Kevin Yang, director of The Puppeteers
Expert action steps:
1. Be intentional with your thoughts, because what you focus on shapes your reality.
2. Stay persistent in pursuing your passion, but if your heart is no longer in it, allow yourself to pivot and follow a new path.
3. Always strive to do your best, and consider reading The Four Agreements for timeless principles to live by.
Lean more & connect:
The Puppeteers is streaming exclusively on Gan Jing World and is free until April 29th.
https://www.ganjingworld.com/live/1hjhn5c5bpe4RB3OUutLIKAVD1kb1c
Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level.
Recommended
Transcript
Maintaining Positivity Amid Societal Issues
00:00:03
Speaker
I was dumbfounded and sad to hear that that was happening. You know, I think I try to live in Pollyanna world, so it's just really sad to know that these things are happening in Canada and elsewhere.
00:00:15
Speaker
The very least we can do is pay attention to what's going on in the country and be awake and make sure that we vote for people that exemplify what we're all about.
Introduction to Nikki Ballou's Podcast
00:00:29
Speaker
Welcome to the Thought Leader Revolution with Nikki Ballou. Join the revolution. There's never been a better time in history to speak your truth, find your freedom, and make your fortune. Each week, we interview the world's top thought leaders and learn the secrets of how they built a six to seven figure practice.
00:00:46
Speaker
This episode has been brought to you by ecircleacademy.com, the proven system to add six to seven figures a year to your thought leader practice.
Amy Rivard's Career Journey
00:00:57
Speaker
Welcome to another exciting episode of the podcast, The Thought Leader Revolution. your host, Nicky Ballou. And boy, do we have an exciting guest lined up for you today. She is the star of a brand new movie called The Puppeteers.
00:01:12
Speaker
And given that there is an important election happening in Canada right now, this is a timely conversation. I'm speaking, of course, of none other than the one, the only, the legendary Amy Rabard. Welcome the show, Amy.
00:01:26
Speaker
Thank you for having me. I so appreciate it My pleasure. So, Amy, tell us your backstory. How did you get to be the great Amy Rivard? Well, if you want to go really far back, there's this thing called creation, but I don't know what your viewers are like here. Just kidding. but umm bu oh So I was born in Chatham, Ontario, raised in Windsor, Ontario.
00:01:50
Speaker
I started doing musicals high school or no, actually in grade school and in high school. And then in university, I got a degree in musical theater, a bachelor of fine arts.
00:02:02
Speaker
And from there, i went on and I toured with the show Riverdance. I was not a dancer. I was a singer. so ah So don't ask me to dance. And then I toured the world with a number of shows, Celtic Woman.
00:02:17
Speaker
i was on Silver Sea, Six Star Cruise Lines performing. um What else? I toured Canada with Camelot, the musical, and did some other shows in Toronto, did some indie film in Windsor, Ontario, where I'm from.
00:02:33
Speaker
And that I lived in New York for many years, and I was really focusing on my music career. I was singing jazz and pop at places like Tavern on the Green, the Hyatt Union Square, and COVID hit.
00:02:45
Speaker
And things, you know, changed. You know, everybody... All of my friends started leaving New York and I thought, you know, I've been here a while. i think I think I'm going to go home, back to Canada, um just to be yeah around like friends, family, free health care. i mean, I know people complain because they have to wait a long time, but I'm telling you, you know i mean, I know we pay for it, but but it's available to you. And I just you know thought i thought it was the right time to move back to Canada.
00:03:15
Speaker
And it's been so fabulous being in our country. you There's something different, and love it. And I love New York too, but it's home. It's home. You know, it's where I was raised. So. Amen.
00:03:26
Speaker
Amen. Yeah. So you've had quite the illustrious ah career in. Thank you. Entertainment as an actress. This is fantastic. So. What made you decide to get involved with this latest project of yours, the movie, The Puppeteers?
00:03:44
Speaker
Yes. So um ah when I moved back to Toronto, my agent, you know, ah my agent is fabulous. Yannick Landry, you know, he he sent me this audition. And I'll be honest, I almost didn't go because it was far away from where I live.
00:03:59
Speaker
I don't have a car anymore. And I thought, oh, my God, I got to go up there. How long is that going to take? I was like, get off your lazy butt, Amy, and go to this audition. and And, you know, it was a really good lesson because I know a lot of time as actors, you know we're auditioning all the time. People don't realize that.
00:04:18
Speaker
the the the time that goes into auditioning. I could i could do 15 auditions a week sometimes and people don't realize, you know, they're like oh, you're a star, like you're a star overnight. No, no, no, no, no. We are auditioning all the time and you don't get paid for the auditions.
00:04:33
Speaker
So did the audition and, you know, i think the best thing to do when you audition for something is forget about it. Don't remember you audition. People are like, how did it go? How did it go? You almost don't want to talk about it because, know,
00:04:47
Speaker
then you're thinking, oh, I want I want I want it. So then my agent called or was, did he, eat no, he emailed me and he's like, hey, you got the part. And I was like, what?
00:04:58
Speaker
a know Yeah, so absolutely amazing.
The Significance of 'The Puppeteers'
00:05:00
Speaker
When I was in New York, I was really focusing on writing my own music, getting it up on Spotify and Apple Music and all that stuff. So I hadn't been doing TV or film in a very long time.
00:05:12
Speaker
So as much as I was excited, was also very nervous. So it was time to, you know, I was, I went to my coach and I was like, we gotta, you know, I gotta prep for this. This is a major role and I need your help. So let's, you know, let's do the work. And, and the script, I mean, Kevin, they, they they made such a wonderful script. It's so important what they've created.
00:05:36
Speaker
and I'll be honest, it was really educational for me because I learned a lot of things that I didn't know about. And I think a lot of Canadians don't know about a lot of people in general, I've been getting, you know, since it's been online, so many people have messaged me.
00:05:51
Speaker
And at the end of the, film i don't want to give the film away, but but it these are based on true stories that have happened within Canada. And one of my friends, you know, he texted me and he said, I can't believe that those things happened in Canada.
00:06:06
Speaker
And I was like, well, yeah, they did. And so it's wonderful to see what is um what the film is doing. It's really educating people on what's going on. Well, you know, it's interesting. I mean, before we get into the film, there's an election going on in Canada right now.
00:06:22
Speaker
And um one of the ah m the candidates on the Liberal Party basically called out his opponent, who is a Chinese-born man.
00:06:38
Speaker
ah running as a conservative here in Canada, he's Canadian citizen, and said, hey, he's wanted by the Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong and there's a million dollar bounty on his head. So, you know, you could turn him in and get the million dollar bounty.
00:06:52
Speaker
And then he went, ha, ha, ha, like this was some big joke, but it's not a joke. That's completely inappropriate. It's a kind of BS that ah it is not cool or kosher in Canada.
00:07:03
Speaker
And far too many Canadians don't realize... how much foreign interference there is in Canadian society and Canadian politics, particularly by the Chinese Communist Party.
00:07:15
Speaker
And Justin Trudeau, before he became prime minister, was asked once, which form of government do you admire the most? And he said, China's basic dictatorship.
00:07:28
Speaker
So basically, he's an admirer of the Maoist ah government of ah China right now, Wortsman, Under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party. This is the same government that basically exterminated 100 million of its own citizens during the Cultural Revolution, the so-called Cultural Revolution, the great so-called Great Leap Forward, which really were a massive genocide of Chinese people and Chinese citizens. so I think people need to wake up and smell the coffee.
00:07:58
Speaker
ah China is not a friend of the West. ah And China is here with a long-term vision to basically dominate the world. That's what I believe. And anyone who ah has eyes to see will very quickly realize that's their objective.
00:08:16
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, and I think i think that the film, what the writers did was that they took actual news stories that happened within Canada and they wrote it into the film. so it's And it's not done in like a documentary style. They made it Similar Homeland, I'm playing a detective and I am investigating interference by the Chinese government within the Canadian government and also to personal people and how they, they, you know, these people have come to Canada and they think they're free.
00:08:49
Speaker
but that there's still surveillance on them by the Chinese government. So we we we talk about those stories. And and as I said, it's not fiction. I mean, the film is a fiction, but it's based on true events within Canada and and obviously probably happening everywhere, stories that we don't even know about.
00:09:06
Speaker
Well, there is um something ah utterly ah unbelievable to me, but the Chinese government has these secret police stations in major metropolitan cities in Canada, in the United States that they run to surveil their own citizens and enemies of the Chinese Communist Party. You want to talk a bit about that and how that comes up in the work that you guys have done in this movie?
00:09:35
Speaker
so So that did happen. I'm sure some people did see it in the news this year. um So our writers took that story and we have that topic in the film. And, you know, it the the the we have one secret police station within the film that plays a central part a central role in the film um so you know and like I said before I read this script I was unaware of these things you know I'm not glued to the news all the time like some people so for me it was an eye-opener it was ah huge education for me um and like I said a lot of people that that I'm pointing over here because my phone is over here
00:10:16
Speaker
um A lot of people that have seen the film, I'm getting texts and they're like, that's real? That happened in Canada? And I'm like, yeah, yeah, I did. i was dumbfounded and sad that to hear that that was happening. You know, I think I try to live in Pollyanna world.
00:10:33
Speaker
And so it's just really sad to know that these things are happening in Canada and elsewhere. Well, I have a belief that everything that happens, happens for me and not to me. And I believe had that intention. love that phrase.
00:10:48
Speaker
that God has that intention for every human being alive.
Exploring Freedom and Politics
00:10:52
Speaker
um So this is happening for me to wake me up and to have me take a bold stand for freedom.
00:11:00
Speaker
I'm going to entitle this episode, What is Freedom? And to me, freedom is being able to stand up for your beliefs and to... ah make common cause with those who believe in what you believe. I believe in freedom.
00:11:15
Speaker
I've, on my own show and on other shows, even though this is typically a business show and we talk about business topics, I believe that freedom is essential to successful business because without freedom, you can't have free expression. Without free expression, you can't have free enterprise.
00:11:29
Speaker
And free enterprise really is the basis of being able to run a business. my And so that's what this show is typically about, but we occasionally delve into political topics. And because the election is happening in Canada tomorrow, April 28th, by the time this episode is released, it you know we may even know the results of the election. yeah But there is a party here, the party of Justin Trudeau, the party of the man who said he admires China's basic dictatorship,
00:12:00
Speaker
they have basically allowed the Chinese communist party to establish these, um, secret police stations in Canada.
00:12:11
Speaker
And they have not taken steps to eradicate these secret police police stations. And, um, Many of their MPs are actually potentially Chinese Communist Party sympathizers at the very least, if not out and outright agents of the Chinese Communist Party.
00:12:34
Speaker
And this was exemplified by the candidate who said, hey, If you want to collect a million dollar bounty, just turn in my opponent to the Chinese Communist Party.
00:12:47
Speaker
The fact that he said this and he's not in jail for saying it says everything to me about the type of government we currently have in charge of our federal government. you know And I'm wondering what your comments are on this, why you believe this movie is important, why you believe people should see it.
00:13:03
Speaker
Well, as you were saying those things, I was like, yeah, we we we touch on these topics in the film. And just like speaking for myself, as I said, i was unaware of these things until I read the script and did the film. And the and then ah in the process, mean, we had...
00:13:21
Speaker
we It was such an incredible crew of people. I mean, to put, I want to say, because I think that's very important, the people that you work with. I want everyone to know that, you know, you may see my face more in the film, but everyone, there were so many people that put this together that that this couldn't have happened without them. And and I learned a lot from some of these people that have come from China.
00:13:42
Speaker
I learned their stories. And so Then knowing someone personally, not just knowing, okay, that's on the news, that happened to that person, but knowing this person who is next to me, who I could hold their hand and say, oh my God, I can't wait ah can't believe that you went through that.
00:13:57
Speaker
That makes, you know, its it's just really touches home and it's so... don't want to say that we're naive, but what we don't know about these things. If you're not within those communities, how would you know, you know, if, if, if, if you weren't in those communities? um So I, I was just, my heart, my, my heart was in pain to know that people are going through this and my eyes were opened.
00:14:21
Speaker
And now, like I said, I think I can't remember. I looked this morning, I think 35,000 people have watched the film now. So they're seeing, you know, what's going on. you know,
00:14:33
Speaker
and And I think people need to see these things. They need to know the truth. Yeah. People do need to know the truth. Here in Canada, we need to wake up. i think the Great Awakening of Canada is in the process of happening. And it's my fervent belief that...
00:14:48
Speaker
and hope that tomorrow in the election, ah the liberal government will get its comeuppance and be voted out of power and the conservative government will come into power and that this sort of shenanigan ah will no longer be tolerated by our great nation.
00:15:06
Speaker
yeah And we are a great nation. Yeah. Canada is a phenomenal country. It absolutely is. But... We have allowed o ourselves to be lulled into complacency, into a sleep of sorts that's allowed these cultural Marxists to take over our country's government and frankly, to remake this society, this polity in ways that the people the country don't agree with.
00:15:36
Speaker
And don't want. Yeah. You know, and this is, this is very important. That's why movies like the puppeteers are invaluable because if they get a large audience, you can get a million, 2 million, 5 million people to see this movie.
00:15:52
Speaker
I think it'll wick a lot of people up. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, freedom, I don't, I think sometimes we take our freedom for granted. yeah Um, you know, and it's interesting. I haven't watched the handmaid's tale because it just sounds so horrifying, but how do we know that that something like that won't actually happen?
00:16:10
Speaker
It's terrifying to think that want to put that out there, but our freedom is, is, is such a gift, such a blessing. And we need to, we need to preserve that.
00:16:22
Speaker
Yeah. I don't know what a better word to say that. Freedom isn't free. Freedom isn't free. good Good men ah and some women have fought, bled, and died so that we get to enjoy the best blessings of liberty in this country and all over the West.
00:16:38
Speaker
yeah And those of us who've not had to go and fight in a war and shed blood and have our own blood shed, the very least we can do is pay attention to what's going on in the country and be awake and make sure that we vote for people that exemplify what we're all about and not those who in a cryptic fashion hide who they really are and then bring forth a ah Marxist, fascist blend of crap and work to stealthily impose it on the rest of us.
00:17:19
Speaker
We get the government that we deserve, and the only way we deserve a good government is if we're awake and we vote for it. What are your thoughts on that? Oh, yeah, we have, we have, one, it's such a gift that we can vote.
00:17:34
Speaker
um it's It's such a gift that we can vote. But I think when when we do vote, I think we need to really take a look and educate ourselves. I think, you know, some people kind of just maybe go in blindly. i know I was probably um guilty of that in the past. So i really think we need to educate ourselves because voting is such a privilege.
00:17:54
Speaker
Well, you know, it's it's a right, really. It's a right. It's a right that we have as citizens. And um honestly, those of us that live here need to just wake up.
00:18:07
Speaker
We just need to wake up that there is a malevolent global force out there. And if we don't wake up, it will very soon take over. and destroy everything we hold dear.
00:18:18
Speaker
And then there'll be a time where, you know, men and women will tell their children, hey, you know, there was a time once in Canada where men yeah were free. Yeah. But no longer, no longer. And God, that that can't happen.
00:18:35
Speaker
And you guys are doing your part by making movies like ah The Puppeteers. And I'm doing my part by... speaking out in favor of freedom and against tyranny every chance I get.
00:18:49
Speaker
And it's very, very important that these conversations be had.
Details and Insights on 'The Puppeteers'
00:18:54
Speaker
So um who's the director of the movie? How do people watch it?
00:18:59
Speaker
Who are some of the other stars? Tell us more about it. Oh my, so there's so many people. um If you, you can watch it right now. I'm not sure when, when this will air, but right now it's streaming on Gan Jing World for free.
00:19:12
Speaker
um on until April 29th. So I'm not sure if it's going to stop at the end of the day on the 29th or if it's the end of the day tomorrow, but you can watch it for free on that website.
00:19:23
Speaker
ah There's so many wonderful people in the film. Brian Law, he is from he's Canadian, but from London. ah We've got Dennis Bale. He is also from London and he plays a bad guy and he plays a really good bad guy. um Scott Neville, he plays my boss, John Dearborn. He is a tough boss, but and he's a good boss.
00:19:44
Speaker
We've got ah Ryan Prashad. We've got Kaylee Panov, David Lucas, um Chang. um Oh, my gosh. You know when you know people by their Instagram names instead of their real names?
00:19:57
Speaker
I'm going to... So there's so many wonderful people. And, you know, that what one thing I loved about the film was it so it was so easy to make because everyone was fabulous. The cast, the crew, everybody, you know, everybody was just so dedicated to the project.
00:20:13
Speaker
And it wasn't it for me, it wasn't an easy project to make because we shot a lot of scenes outside and it was cold. And I'm half Greek. So my my blood is meant to be in the Mediterranean sun.
00:20:26
Speaker
yeah no cold So I So all the people made it so easy because everybody worked together as a team and there was just, it was a great vibe on set.
00:20:38
Speaker
We had fabulous extras to all the extras. We had a lot of cops. We had, oh, and I'm giving, giving it away, but I'm sure you assume there were cops in this film. ah Just such an incredible group of people.
Thought Awareness and Career Advice
00:20:48
Speaker
It was awesome. That's awesome. Yeah. Yeah. So Amy, um we end every show by asking you, our guest expert, what are your top three pieces of life or business or success advice that you would give our listener in bullet point form?
00:21:09
Speaker
but What say you? Be aware of your thoughts. your Your thoughts create things. Be aware of your thoughts and create what you want for yourself.
00:21:19
Speaker
Don't give up. I know it sounds cheesy, but don't give up, especially if you're passionate about it. And if you and if you're not passionate about it anymore, then give up. then then follow I think follow your passion. Always follow your passion. And if something has not your passion anymore,
00:21:36
Speaker
It's okay to let certain dreams die and follow a new passion. um So many people I find that are stuck in jobs or careers that they hate and it's just sucking their their life vibe, their joy vibe.
00:21:51
Speaker
We're here on earth to have joy. So find something that is your passion. And um lastly, always do your best. Always do your best. um You know, ah there's one of my favorite book, actually. i i recommend it to everybody.
00:22:07
Speaker
The Four Agreements. um Miguel Ruiz. It's great book. Yes. it i think I think everybody should. That's what I think. My third thing is I think everybody should read that book. That's my third thing. Read the four agreements.
00:22:21
Speaker
You can find it anywhere. It's a quick read. You probably do it in an hour, maybe an hour and a half, two hours. I'm not even going to tell you what the four agreements are. You can also Google them, but that is my third thing. I want everyone to read the four agreements.
00:22:34
Speaker
That's good. These are some good expert action steps. You know, it's true. ah Thoughts do create things. It's very important to police your thoughts because if you allow yourself to have the wrong thoughts, you'll create the wrong things. Well, if you focus on the right things, you'll...
00:22:49
Speaker
create the right things. It's yeah so true. And this is a, I recently interviewed the great Brian Tracy on the podcast. He's one of the all time great ah motivational authors who sold millions upon millions and millions of copies of his books.
00:23:06
Speaker
And that was one of the key points that came to me when I interviewed him. He said, be very careful where you put your attention. If you spend all your attention making plans for what you want, you'll get what you want.
00:23:17
Speaker
If you, focus on all the crap that you don't like, then you'll get more of that crap that you don't like. Yeah. It's that simple. People don't understand that. They just yeah don't understand that. And I think it's a very good point that you just made that,
00:23:32
Speaker
You know, you shouldn't give up unless you're truly done with something. And then if you're done with it, then give up. yeah Don't hold on to something that you really have no desire to do anymore out of a misplaced sense of I really should give up too soon.
00:23:46
Speaker
You shouldn't give up too soon. But if something's not for you anymore, you got to be honest about that. I think that's really, really true. And, you know, do your best is good. And the four agreements is a...
00:23:58
Speaker
wonderful book that I think every human being can benefit from reading. yeah Don Miguel Ruiz is a brilliant man. So great job. yeah Thank you. Thanks. Yeah. Yeah. Amy Rivard, a pleasure to have you here, folks.
00:24:11
Speaker
um We're going to put the link to the movie, the puppeteers in the show notes. And I'm sure that after the free period is over, there'll be other places you can find it, but it sounds like it's a fantastic movie and one well worth watching, especially if you're someone who wants to watch meaningful movies, movies that are going to stir your soul.
00:24:33
Speaker
and bring out the best in you. And I think that's an important thing for all of us to do. I believe we learn from art.
Episode Conclusion
00:24:40
Speaker
We learn from story. We learn from fictional books. There's a lot of people in our industry that say, don't read fiction. I think that's a huge mistake.
00:24:48
Speaker
you You should read a lot of fiction because you learn through the stories that are told in fiction. And obviously, the same is true in in movies. If you're watching good movies that are non-woke,
00:25:01
Speaker
and that have a powerful message, you'll learn a ton from those as well. And I thank you for the work that you do. And thanks for coming on the show, Amy. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it. Yeah, my pleasure. And that wraps up another exciting episode of the podcast, The Thought Leader Revolution.
00:25:14
Speaker
To find out more about this amazing guest, the one and only Amy Revard, go to the show notes at thethoughtleaderrevolution.com or go to her website, amyrevvard.com. Until next time, goodbye.
00:25:29
Speaker
This episode has been brought to you by ecircleacademy.com, the proven system to add six to seven figures a year to your thought leader practice.