Relentless Decency in a Divided World: A Conversation with Tod Maffin

If there’s one thing leaders and event planners agree on, it’s this: the world feels tense right now. Teams are stretched. Trust is fragile. Audiences are craving something real, human, and hopeful — without the empty hype or surface-level platitudes. That’s exactly why Tod Maffin and his keynote Relentless Decency are resonating so deeply across Canada.

For years, Tod was known as a digital futurist, broadcaster, community-builder, and cultural commentator. His work sits at the intersection of leadership, politics and current events, community-building, and the evolving future of work.

But in today’s climate, Tod has become a particularly powerful voice on connection, trust, and rebuilding culture inside organizations. His message blends emotional intelligence with business strategy, and his storytelling captures something uniquely and unmistakably Canadian — a perspective especially relevant to audiences exploring Canada–U.S. relations and how cultural narratives influence workplace dynamics.

We sat down with Tod to explore the inspiration behind Relentless Decency, why this message matters now more than ever, and how leaders can create real change — one small action at a time.

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TL;DR

Tod Maffin’s keynote Relentless Decency offers a powerful and practical message for organizations navigating division, fatigue, cultural shifts, and change. In this interview, Tod shares why trust, nuance, and compassion have become strategic advantages for leaders; how community-building moments like the Nanaimo Infusion shape his work; and why audiences leave his sessions feeling reconnected and ready to take action. If your event focuses on leadership, culture, trust, or rebuilding engagement, Tod delivers one of the most timely and impactful keynotes available today.

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Q&A with Tod Maffin

Tod, your keynote is titled Relentless Decency: A Practical Approach to Acting On What We Say We Value. Why is this message so urgent for business leaders and associations right now?

We’ve stepped into an age where outrage is rewarded and moderation is punished. You see it in politics, on social media, and increasingly inside organizations. Teams are afraid to disagree, afraid to be seen as on the “wrong side.” But Canadian organizations and business has always thrived on collaboration, not combat. Relentless Decency is about reclaiming that strength. It’s about proving that calm leadership and decency aren’t weaknesses, they’re competitive advantages. Leaders who can create psychological safety, who can make space for nuance, will keep their talent and their customers. The ones who can’t, won’t.

Your description mentions using the 1980s TV show The Littlest Hobo as a central symbol. That’s unexpected! How do you connect a nostalgic piece of Canadiana to the very real, modern-day business challenges of team division and a cynical public?

The Littlest Hobo is more than nostalgia. It’s a reminder of who we once believed ourselves to be. The show was about a traveller who moved from town to town, quietly fixing what was broken and then moving on. No ego. No branding. Just doing the right thing and trusting people would pay it forward.

In a corporate world obsessed with metrics and personal gain, that kind of quiet integrity feels radical again. I use it as a mirror for leaders to ask, “Are we still the kind of people who stop to help, even when no one’s watching?” Because that’s where trust starts—inside teams, and between brands and the public.

How is Relentless Decency a Practical Strategy?

You’re a digital futurist and marketer, not just a cultural commentator. How does that background shape this message? How is Relentless Decency a practical strategy for an organization, not just a “nice-to-have” value?

In marketing, you learn fast that trust is the ultimate currency. Algorithms change, platforms come and go, but people remember how you made them feel. I feel like my background lets me more easily connect the dots between cultural shifts and business outcomes. Relentless Decency isn’t a soft idea, it’s a strategic one. In a marketplace flooded with noise and polarization, decency differentiates. It lowers turnover, builds customer loyalty, and reduces PR crises. It’s not about being “nice” — it’s about being credible, consistent, and human in a digital age that rewards the opposite. (It’s also what the book that my good friend Mark Blevis and I co-wrote several years ago was all about.)

Your talks promise “tangible takeaways” and that teams will “work better, lead better, and build better.” For a leader who’s worried about a divided team or unclear corporate values, what does that actually look like? What’s a tangible outcome they can expect?

What people take away isn’t a framework or a slogan, it’s a reset. I want to help them see that the person across the table isn’t the problem, they’re part of the same story. We’ve all been stretched thin these last few years, but Canadians don’t give up on each other when things get hard. When people remember that, teams start to breathe again. They trust, they collaborate, and they rebuild what cynicism took away.

The Call to Action for Building Stronger Teams

The keynote is described as a “compelling call to action.” You want people to do something. What’s the first thing you hope an attendee will do differently when they get back to their desk or their community?

We all have the power to do one small thing. We’re not all good at everything, but we’re all good at something. And like the Littlest Hobo, we can choose to help fix one small piece of our organization and our world that feels broken. The call to action is about moving forward when you feel stuck, and providing motivation to make a difference, in a world which says little things don’t matter (they do!).

Let’s talk to event planners directly. What kind of conference theme or business problem is the perfect match for this keynote? What’s the challenge a planner is facing that tells them, “I need to hire Tod Maffin”?

Book this keynote when your event’s theme involves trust, culture, leadership, or rebuilding after division. It’s ideal for organizations trying to strengthen engagement after tough change, mergers, or public backlash. It’s designed for times when morale might be low, or when they want to inspire unity without empty hype. My job is to give people permission to believe again that decency and progress can co-exist, and to remind them they can take steps to improve what’s around them.

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Hire Tod Maffin as a Keynote Speaker

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Beyond the Stage with Tod Maffin

Many people know you from your viral TikTok invitation that became the “Nanaimo Infusion.” What did that experience teach you about connection and Canadian identity that you now bring to the stage for leaders?

People are hungry for basic humanity — like real people connecting with real people. The “Infusion” worked because it wasn’t marketing, it was an invitation. People want to belong to something good. When the Americans showed up in Nanaimo, it wasn’t for politics, it was for community. That’s the same energy I try to bring to the stage: reminding people that connection isn’t complicated, it’s just rare. And that relentless decency is (a) easier than they think and (b) contagious.

Your work didn’t stop with the “Infusion.” You’ve since used that same community-building energy to help recruit much-needed healthcare workers to B.C. How does this kind of tangible, real-world action prove the business case for “Relentless Decency” that you talk about in your keynote?

Honestly, we didn’t have some big strategy. We just wanted to help. The fact that it inspired people to come here and make a difference says more about them than us. What it showed me though is that when you lead with decency, without expecting anything in return, people notice. That same principle applies in business. If you take care of people, they take care of the mission.

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What does it mean to be Canadian?

Tod Maffin takes us on a fun and upbeat journey, blending humour with quirky Canadian observations and a musical performance.

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As someone who’s an ‘expert on Canadian Culture’ and challenges us to ‘reconsider the stories we tell ourselves’, what’s the next big conversation you think Canadians need to be having that isn’t on our radar yet?

We need to talk about civic fatigue. Canadians are tired — of fighting, of being told to pick sides. That fatigue is dangerous because it leads to disengagement. The next conversation has to be about rebuilding our collective stamina for decency, even when it’s hard. Democracy, community, business — they all depend on it. I view this work as urgent. We are being assaulted by the culture wars in the U.S., and some political groups are photocopying that dehumanizing playbook.

You’ve been a national broadcaster, a viral creator, and a keynote speaker. As you look at the next 5–10 years, what’s a personal passion project or new medium you’re excited to explore to continue shaping our national story?

This whole Canadian commentator thing reminds me of my fascination for long-form storytelling. Canada has some amazing stories, and I’d love to get them to podcasts and screens in a way that connects generations. There’s a quiet pride in this country that deserves a bigger voice. I would be privileged to spend the next years helping amplify that voice, one story, one stage, and one community at a time.

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Why Should You Hire Tod Maffin?

In a moment when organizations are grappling with culture, connection, fatigue, and division, Tod Maffin is offering something rare: a message that is strategic, human, and deeply actionable.

Relentless Decency isn’t about being “nice.”

It’s about being credible. It’s about rebuilding trust. And it’s about leading with clarity and compassion in a world that seems designed to pull people apart.

For planners looking to energize a room and shift the tone of an event, Tod delivers exactly what audiences need most: the reminder that small acts of decency still matter — and they still change things. For your next conference, summit, or retreat, hire Tod Maffin as your keynote speaker. Contact an agent today.

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FAQ: Relentless Decency in a Divided World

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Keep Up With Tod Maffin

Website: todmaffin.com

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