Kevin Rempel

It has taken nearly 18 years to synthesize my message into something this simple, clear, and sticky.

The next chapter is finally here.

I’m excited to officially launch my Check Your EGO philosophy.

Check your EGO stands for Check Your Excuses, Gut, and Options. It is a simple framework to help you recognize how ego shows up and how it influences decision making.

These are a few of the first posters I’ve created to help professionals across different trades, industries, and professions understand how ego shows up in real life.

And today, we are also launching a brand new website (kevinrempel.com) to tell this story in a bigger way.

We all have an ego. The key is learning how to recognize it, understand it, and not let it take over the decisions that matter most.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! How do you think ego affects decision making in leadership, safety, teamwork, or everyday life?

Over the past two years, my journey following God has been nothing short of incredible. I’m deeply honoured to have been invited to share my story at the Hamilton Leadership Prayer Breakfast.

For those who know me or have followed my journey, you know life has brought some major ups and downs and a significant transition these past few years. There’s so much I’ve wanted to share about my walk with God. Some of it I’ve shared publicly, and some of it I haven’t.

This event will be the first time I’ll publicly share my testimony in greater detail, and honestly, I couldn’t be more excited or honoured.

If you’re a follower of Jesus, exploring faith, or simply curious, I would truly love for you to join me. It would mean the world to have your support and to share this moment together.

I genuinely believe there is so much joy, peace, and purpose available to us when we invite God into our hearts. I know what He’s done in my life, and my prayer is that others would experience that same hope and joy too.

Details are below. Hope to see you there.

📍 Hamilton Leadership Prayer Breakfast
📅 Thursday, June 4, 2026
⏰ 6:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
📍 Carmen’s Event Centre – Hamilton, ON

Register online: hamiltonprayerbreakfast.ca

Thanks to everyone who participated today in the in support of spinal cord research!

Mom and I walked 2.15km together. Not a record by any stretch, but got to enjoy the morning sunshine together on Mothers Day which was by far the best part!

There’s not a chance in this world I’d be where I am today without my mom. I love you! ❤️🥰

Sticker culture is real.

Especially on the job site.

Lunchbox, hard hat, laptop, toolbox, water bottle. Everybody loves a good sticker.

As I continue rolling out the new direction of my message and speaking career, you may have noticed EGO has become a big part of the conversation.

My new framework is called *Check Your EGO*:

*Excuses*
*Gut*
*Options*

And every time I hear someone say it is landing, it fires me up.

So, I turned it into a sticker.

These are ready for hard hats, lunchboxes, laptops, or anywhere else you want to toss one.

If you are digging these, give this a thumbs up.

And if you see me and want one, let me know.

I will keep a handful in my truck!

Have you ever felt frustrated trying to learn from someone older than you?

Or trying to train someone younger than you?

The generational gap in the workplace is real, especially in the trades.

Recently, my friend Manja Horner published her new book, *Passing the Torch: The Rescue Call, A Call to Rescue the Future of Trades*, and I highly recommend checking it out.

There is so much wisdom, experience, and practical knowledge that older generations can pass on.

There is also a lot younger generations can teach about new ways of thinking, communicating, and working.

The challenge is making sure that knowledge is not lost when experienced workers leave the workforce.

This is especially important for leaders in training, onboarding, learning and development, and anyone responsible for building strong teams.

If you work in the trades or care about the future of skilled work, this book is worth picking up.

Have you ever woken up with a bad feeling in your gut?

Did you listen to it?

Did you call in sick, speak up, slow down, or stop?

Or did you ignore it?

Nearly 20 years ago, I ignored mine.

I ignored the thought. I ignored the feeling. I ignored the voice inside me that said, “Do not jump your bike today.”

But I forced myself to do it anyway.

At the time, I did not understand that my ego was trying to prove I was worthy. That I was tough. That I was not a wuss.

Moments after kickstarting my dirt bike, I was laying on the ground in excruciating pain, paralyzed.

That one decision took four years to recover from.

Ego exists inside all of us. The goal is not to eliminate it. The goal is to stop letting it control us.

It can drive you forward, but it should never be the one making the call.

If you have experienced an accident, I encourage you to share your story.

And if you have a success story where you listened to your gut, spoke up, or made the right call, share that too.

We need more real stories that remind people why safety matters.

I would love to hear yours in the comments.

Have you seen *Painkiller*?

One storyline hit me hard.

An auto mechanic slips and falls at work, injures his back, and starts taking OxyContin to manage the pain.

What begins as short term disability becomes long term disability.

Pain management becomes addiction.

Thank God my story never went that far.

But I do know what it feels like to go from living a normal life to being addicted to prescription drugs in a matter of weeks.

The photo you see is me at 26 years old, addicted to Percocet.

I was in a dark place. Thankfully, someone helped guide me through withdrawal and back toward recovery.

Not everyone gets that chance.

When we talk about health and safety, we need to remember the injury is not always the end of the story.

Sometimes the accident leads to pain.
Pain leads to prescriptions.
Prescriptions lead to dependency.

And ego can convince us we do not need help.

A powerful question to ask is:

Whose voice is inside my head right now?

Sometimes it is not your voice.

Sometimes it is the pain, the drug, or ego trying to keep you trapped.

I share this because I want people to know there is a way out.

Someone may need to hear that today.

Nobody wakes up thinking they are going to get hurt.

Most of us believe the day will go the way we expect.

We think we will be the exception.

Until something happens.

Years ago, after my dad fell from a tree, I remember him saying, “I had been climbing trees for nearly 40 years. I never thought it would happen to me.”

That moment changed everything.

It reminded me that safety does not discriminate. It does not matter how much experience you have, how confident you feel, or how many times you have done the task before. Accidents can happen to anyone.

After my dad was injured, it became the reason I now share my story.

I do not want another family disrupted.
I do not want another life changed forever.
I do not want another person lost to the depression that can follow a workplace accident.

As North American Health & Safety Week kicks off today, I hope we are reminded to be safe, not just because we are told to, but because our choices affect lives far beyond our own.

Wings for Life World Run is one week away!

I first started doing this race in 2015, and it’s always one of the most inspiring events of the year.

It’s not just a local race it’s a global run where people from around the world run together at the same time.

The best part? Anyone can take part. Run, jog, or walk wherever you are and be part of something truly global.

If you’ve never tried it before, this is a great year to jump in.

Who’s joining me on May 10th? 🌍🏃‍♂️

Today I had the chance to stand in a room full of leaders who make decisions most people will never have to make.

At the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership Forum, we didn’t just talk about leadership under pressure, we talked about the voice behind the decision.

Because the real risk isn’t always the situation in front of you. It’s the internal voice you don’t question.

The excuses that sound reasonable.
The gut you ignore or misread.
The options you never stop to consider.

That’s where EGO shows up.

Not as arrogance.
But as something far more subtle.

The conversation wasn’t about eliminating ego. It was about learning how to check it before it costs you.

Thank you to the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police for having me. Grateful for the honesty in the room and the leaders willing to look inward at the moments that matter most.