Show Notes
Yarrow Kraner is the founder of HATCH—a global network of innovators and co-conspirators actively doing the work to create a more beautiful, sustainable, and just world (people who Yarrow refers to as “real-life superheroes”). HATCH'S mission is to accelerate solutions to global challenges. The how: by fueling extraordinary humans. The why: to HATCH a better world. Yarrow is a creative alchemist whose heart has the distinct ability to draw people out of a state of self-uncertainy and into a state of self-empowerment—one that has the literal power to change the world. I say that with no fluff. He is, with all sincerity a creative alchemist, builder of community, facilitator of hope, and someone who shows me the truest side of friendship. We have traveled the world together, backpacks on tight, creating safe spaces for people (like you, yes You) to see and discover their ability to make REAL change in this world. Today, you’ll hear him wax poetic like, “There's a race between consciousness and catastrophe.” And speak truth that brings you deeper into the hope we need. This one IS that: “You are either tapped into what you're meant to do in the world, or you have the potential to.” This one goes out to all of us. WORKS: - Founder of HATCH—a global network of innovators who are actively pursuing a more beautiful, sustainable, and just world. - Founder of H360, a machine learning platform that brings silos of organizations together to activate collaborations and create a "Network of Networks" for collaborations with the power to improve the world. - Tate and Olivia's stepdad - Named 2015 top 100 creatives in the U.S. by Origin - Founder, Superdudes—the original online community (pre-MySpace) connecting and empowering real life superheroes while gamifing community volunteerism - Director, Virgin Produced, which is the entertainment arm of Richard Branson’s Virgin group - Filmmaker, photographer, and director, leading projects with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Richard Branson, Sean Combs (aka P. Diddy), as well as, international brands - Aspen Institute Fellow
TOOLS: Reflections that help us remember the endless value of true friendship Insights to guide you towards your own backyard and the changes in your hands Hope—THAT’S the tool Truths that help us restore balance in ourselves and inner-knowing
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: BETTER is recorded on the unceded and ancestral territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and has been stewarded by them since time immemorial.
BETTER with Mark Brand is produced by Pamela Rothenberg of I HEAR YOU STUDIOS and Adam Karch with Orbyt Media
More from BETTER presents: Make Food Food Again
Where is this season going? Into the systems that shape how food gets grown, made, shared, and accessed, and toward the possibility of making them work better for everyone. We are setting out to demystify the food system: how it works, who it serves, who gets left out, and how people can help change it. Drawing on decades of experience in restaurants, farms, and community food programs, he’ll make big ideas around food access, agriculture, and food justice clearer, more practical, and easier to act on. Because the systems we live with were built by people, and people can build them better. This season is a guide to understanding what’s possible when we work together to make good food and care more accessible to all. East Coast Credit Union is proud to support Better because we believe meaningful change starts with asking the right questions and challenging the way things have always been done. As Mark Brand explores the systems that shape our lives and meets the people working to improve them, we see a natural connection to our own purpose: using banking as a force for good to improve financial wellbeing, strengthen communities and help people thrive. When our members and communities thrive, we all do. Learn more about how East Coast Credit Union is challenging the status quo of traditional banking and showing how business and banking can be a force for good: eastcoastcu.ca
In Season 4, Make Food Food Again, Mark takes a deeper look at the systems that determine how we feed ourselves, who benefits, who gets left behind, and what needs to change. Through powerful human stories, investigative documentaries, and accessible explainers, BETTER explores the connections between food, health, labour, land, power, and dignity. From food banks and grocery giants to the people growing, preparing, and relying on our food, Mark asks difficult questions, challenges familiar narratives, and explores practical solutions. Because building a better world starts with understanding the one we've created. East Coast Credit Union is proud to support Better because we believe meaningful change starts with asking the right questions and challenging the way things have always been done. As Mark Brand explores the systems that shape our lives and meets the people working to improve them, we see a natural connection to our own purpose: using banking as a force for good to improve financial wellbeing, strengthen communities and help people thrive. When our members and communities thrive, we all do. Learn more about how East Coast Credit Union is challenging the status quo of traditional banking and showing how business and banking can be a force for good: eastcoastcu.ca
In this episode of Better, host Mark Brand sits down with Nova Scotian diver and content creator Sean “Saltwater Sean” McMullen for a deeply honest conversation about curiosity, healing, and finding purpose beneath the waves. Sean shares how boredom during COVID, a wetsuit from Marketplace, and a couple of vintage soda bottles led to a viral photo, national media attention, and the birth of the Saltwater Sean platform. Along the way, he opens up about sobriety, divorce, tinnitus and hearing loss, childhood bullying, and how diving, magnet fishing, and cleaning up local waterways became a way to reconnect with his inner child, his parents, his kids, and his community. This is a story about environmental action, mental health, and the power of simply doing your own “weird thing” so others feel brave enough to do theirs.
Social impact entrepreneur Mark Brand and Producer Madison Irvine unpack their conversation with ocean cleanup creator Sean “Saltwater Sean” McMullen. From diving Nova Scotia’s rivers, lakes, and coastline for trash to becoming an unlikely online creator, Sean’s story opens up a bigger conversation about authenticity, community, local arts, and playing the long game with your craft. This Season 3 finale also celebrates Nova Scotian identity, neighborhood kindness in Halifax, and the importance of supporting local art, podcasts, and emerging storytellers.
Actor, director, gamer, and entrepreneur Matthew Lillard has been a cult favorite for decades—from Scream and Hackers to Scooby-Doo and Five Nights at Freddy’s. But behind the characters is a story of failure, reinvention, and radical authenticity. In this conversation with Mark Brand, Matthew opens up about: Growing up as an outsider: obese kid, learning disabilities, drama nerd in the 80s The moment he turned down Dancing With the Stars, fired his team, sold his house, and rebuilt his life and career How The Descendants “reintroduced” him to Hollywood as a man, not just the funny kid Building Beadle & Grimm’s and Find Familiar Spirits, brands that serve fandoms instead of chasing the mainstream Why helping friends win feels better than his own success How he uses his celebrity as a tool for impact, not ego Turning pain, insecurity, and “outsider” energy into art, business, and community This episode is a love letter to nerds, misfits, and late bloomers, and a masterclass in showing up as your whole self, even when it’s messy.