Explore every episode of the podcast Career Crossroads
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The End of Career Crossroads | 20 Dec 2023 | 00:07:06 | |
All good things must come to an end. It's been a wonderful journey over the last 3+ years but today marks the end of Career Crossroads. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Mike Fernandes - Leaving his YouTube Career Behind for a shot at Student Affairs | 13 Dec 2023 | 01:04:17 | |
#100 - Like most kids, Mike developed his musical tastes as a teenager. He liked a wide range of bands and one day decided to try and mash up a couple of his favorite songs and publish the mix on YouTube. That simple action had a much bigger impact than Mike ever could have predicted. It was the first step in launching his YouTube channel which at its peak had over 325,000 subscribers and was getting up to 2 million views per month. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Dan Chan – From PayPal Mafia to Magician for Millionaires | 19 Jun 2023 | 00:49:38 | |
#91 – Every good magician has a stage name and Dan Chan is known as ‘The Millionaire’s Mentalist’. He has earned that name after a career of performing at events for wealthy tech moguls from companies like Twitter and Amazon but when he was first starting out he was making balloon animals at children’s birthday parties. That’s because magic was not Dan’s first full-time job. After getting a degree in Finance from the University of California, Riverside, Dan was hired as one of the early employees at PayPal – before the merger with Elon Musk’s X.com – and Dan worked his way up from Customer Service to the Finance department. After 13 months, Dan’s path split dramatically from members of the ‘PayPal Mafia’ who went on to found companies like YouTube, LinkedIn, Yelp, SpaceX, and Tesla. Instead of staying in the world of tech, Dan committed himself to magic full-time and now, 20+ years later, he reflects on his career journey on Career Crossroads. Mentioned in this episode:
___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Introducing Career Crossroads | 09 Sep 2020 | 00:07:56 | |
In this 8 minute introductory episode, host Jonathan Collaton explains what Career Crossroads is all about. He explains where the concept came from, what the show's format is, and his personal rationale for creating the podcast. This is the best place to start listening to find out if the show is for you! To support Career Crossroads, click here To leave Career Crossroads a review, click here You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroadspodcast.com or follow us on social media Instagram: @career_crossroads ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Chronicling Career Crossroads - New Format Success and Fighting Burnout | 05 Jun 2023 | 00:10:18 | |
#90 – Today’s episode of the podcast isn’t an interview- it’s just you and me talking. Now that we’re two months into the new show format, I wanted to give an update on how things are going and let you know about the podcast’s record-breaking month of May. I also want to talk a bit about the importance of preplanning to take time off and my own experience with it. The best month in the history of the podcast came during the month I was paying the least attention. Take a listen and let me know what you think. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Academic Crossroads with Ben Brown | 29 May 2023 | 00:24:59 | |
#89 – As a first-year offensive lineman on the University of Waterloo’s varsity football team, Ben Brown was supposed to be living his dream. With the support of his father, who had been his football coach, Ben received a football scholarship to an excellent school and was excited for the next chapter of his life. Before Ben’s university career began, however, tragedy struck as Ben’s father passed away. Suddenly, Ben was carrying the weight of his and his father's dream all on his own. Despite this incredible hardship, Ben pressed on and outwardly, had a successful first year of university. His grades were good and he seemed to be happy, but internally Ben was struggling. He decided that he needed to step away from the football team and take a term off school for his mental health and when he came back, it did not take long to realize he no longer saw a future in his program of study. With the help of a career counsellor at the university, Ben found a new path in an unexpected place that involved leaving the university behind. Now, years after graduating from Conestoga College, Ben is living a new dream as a firefighter. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Career Coach Conversations with Chris M. Wilson | 22 May 2023 | 00:28:54 | |
When you know you want to change your career but you are unsure of where to go, you might seek the help of a professional. Chris M. Wilson, this week's guest, struggled to find the help he was looking for and that challenge led him to dedicate his life to helping people going through similar struggles. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| CC Shorts with Andy Thibodeau | 15 May 2023 | 00:31:15 | |
#87 - What would you do if your ability to do your job disappeared overnight? How would you react? ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Josh Green – From Acting, to Cookie Dough Connoisseur, to Business Consulting | 08 May 2023 | 01:02:42 | |
#86 -If you told 20-year-old Josh Green that he was going to be a business consultant in the future, he would have thought you were joking. How did he end up a business consultant when he was well on his way to a successful career as an actor and improv comedian? He was getting regular work, making more money than most actors he knew, and even had scenes in movies with Ice Cube and Danny Glover.
Everyone has a story to tell. Listen today to hear Josh's. Links from the episode: ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Academic Crossroads with Frank Chen | 01 May 2023 | 00:37:26 | |
85 - Attending university can change your life. Sometimes, in ways you don’t expect. For Frank Chen, coming to Canada from his native China to study at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) was a way to get into a stable career, while also making his parents proud. To satisfy both desires, Frank chose to study accounting and he was successful in his studies. During one of his co-op terms, however, Frank came to the realization that he wasn’t passionate about accounting. When he shared this knowledge with a colleague who was also from the co-op program at UTSC, Frank was informed he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. The more they conversed, the more they realized that a lack of love for accounting wasn't the only thing they had in common. Both of them were interested in entrepreneurship and it didn’t take long for Frank and his colleague to decide they were going to start their own company. That is how Frank, a university student, became the co-founder of Sumer, a grocery delivery service in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. From the challenges of running a startup as a university student, to the difficult decision to shut it down in 2022, Frank and I talk through what he learned from his Sumer experience and how he is applying those lessons today. More importantly, Frank and I discuss how accepting that he lacked passion for what he chose to study taught him a lesson that has influenced every decision he’s made since then. Links from this episode: ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Career Coach Conversations with Wei Huang | 24 Apr 2023 | 00:29:54 | |
#85 – “What can I do with my degree?” This is one of the most common questions asked by students who have nearly finished pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into completing a difficult academic program and are now realizing they are unsure of what comes next. With a decade of experience working as a Career Counsellor at the University of Toronto Scarborough Academic Advising and Career Centre, and another decade of experience prior to that in Toronto Employment Centres, Wei Huang is well equipped to help students navigate this question. Wei’s biggest piece of advice? Reflect on your values; they will guide you in determining what careers fit what you are looking for. Listen to our conversation for the full story. If you are a student at the University of Toronto Scarborough you can book an appointment with Wei by calling the UTSC Academic Advising and Career Centre. For everyone else, email her at findyourwaycareer@gmail.com ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| CC Shorts with Brian Millado | 17 Apr 2023 | 00:20:09 | |
#83 - In the early days of his career, Brian Millado jumped between jobs in the Department of Student Life at the University of Toronto. He wasn't jumping because he didn't like his roles, or because he was chasing higher pay; he was jumping because he was continually offered the chance to work on different programs as his skillset was in demand. Things were good. Until one day, they weren't. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Chris Lewarne – From New York City corporate lawyer to Barry’s Bootcamp instructor in Toronto | 10 Apr 2023 | 01:12:28 | |
#82 – Chris Lewarne is well known in the Toronto fitness community as one of the trainers at Barry’s Bootcamp, helping people achieve their fitness and health goals. Fitness, however, was not the path Chris set out on when leaving high school. Growing up, his family struggled financially, and Chris worked some awful jobs as a teenager to help contribute. With those experiences pushing him forward, he dreamed about the financial stability a high-paying career could provide and as a successful student, he chose a career in law to help him achieve his goal. Upon graduation, Chris was obsessed with making his way to New York City and it didn’t take long for that to happen; his first job offer was with a corporate law firm in NYC and Chris jumped at the chance. Then one day, Chris’s life changed. It changed so profoundly that he quit his job at the law firm without any real plan and spent the day wandering the streets of New York. Ultimately, one of the worst experiences of Chris’s life set him on a new path that brought him back home to Toronto, years later. Listen today to hear about:
Links from this episode:
___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Career Coach Conversations with Betty Xie | 04 Dec 2023 | 00:28:05 | |
#99 – As Betty Xie headed toward post-secondary education, she had a plan: study math because that would lead her to a good job. The closer she got to starting classes, the more she realized that while that was practical and she had a talent for it, she wasn’t actually interested in math and the career options it would provide. Instead of looking at studying something similar but more interesting, Betty decided she wanted to explore perhaps the farthest areas of study from math - cinema studies and contemporary Asian studies. Upon graduation, she followed parallel paths of film creator and arts administrator and further education until burnout finally hit and she realized she needed to make a choice. Her experience with further education led her to realize that while she could help organizations as an arts administrator, it was when she was helping individuals that she really thrived. That realization led Betty to her current path of career coaching with a specialization in helping creatives. Find Betty on LinkedIn, Instagram, or on her website at xiebetty.com You can also find her on The Everyday Talent Podcast and take her Creative Career Archetype ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Chronicling Career Crossroads #5 - Where We Stand | 03 Apr 2023 | 00:12:09 | |
Today, we get vulnerable. In this short and final episode of the Chronicles series, we discuss what new episode formats are on the horizon and how this series has driven Jonathan's public speaking work forward.
___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Chronicling Career Crossroads #4 - Marketing | 22 Mar 2023 | 00:19:28 | |
When products change, their marketing has to change: that's the core of the fourth episode of the Chronicling Career Crossroad series. But how to market something that is still in flux? It's not a question I can answer on my own so I need to bring in an expert. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Chronicling Career Crossroads #3 - Content | 07 Mar 2023 | 00:13:24 | |
Content is king. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Chronicling Career Crossroads #2 – Research | 23 Feb 2023 | 00:27:26 | |
When this episode was first conceived it was titled “Research – or how to make sure what I’m doing isn’t a waste of time”. As the episode title was….simplified, the core idea for the episode stayed the same: research. In order to determine if the planned Career Crossroads pivot is hitting the mark, I need to find out if the audience I intend to support (high school students, university/college students, and young grads) will actually benefit from this content. To find the answers to these questions in this episode I speak to three people:
Listen in to hear their takes on what young people know and need to know about their career trajectory, and how Career Crossroads can help them. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Chronicling Career Crossroads #1 - The Career Crossroads Crossroad | 09 Feb 2023 | 00:25:10 | |
How do you handle change? ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Claudio – From Gas Station Manager, to Window Washer, to Flight Simulation Instructor | 20 Jul 2022 | 01:33:35 | |
#75 – Although he would never do it, Claudio Teixeira could probably pull a Frank Abagnale and fake his way through flying a jet aircraft. That’s because Claudio has over 5000 hours in the ‘sky’ on the Boeing 777 simulator that is the crown jewel of his company, uFly Simulator Inc, which exists to entertain, help people get over their fear of flying, and train soon-to-be pilots. For years before he started the business, he would spend his evening playing Microsoft Flight Simulator flying between Toronto and New York, or setting the auto-pilot overnight so he could take off from Rio de Janeiro before going to bed, and land in Toronto when he woke up in the morning. With such a passion for flying, why did Claudio never become a pilot himself? Well, that’s a long story involving his father's gas station business in Brazil, multiple border crossings in the cover of darkness, and a window-washing empire in Toronto. Sit back, relax, and enjoy my conversation with Claudio. ______________________ Find uFly Simulator Inc. online at uflysimulator.ca or on Instagram @uflysimulator. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Evo – From Tire Sales, to Travel Blogging, to Podcast Pontificator | 13 Jul 2022 | 01:22:28 | |
#74 – As the creator of the 40th podcast in the world way back in 2004, Evo Terra has had an impact on the world of podcasting for almost two decades and was recently honoured as a 2022 inductee into the Podcast Hall of Fame. You might imagine that someone given that honour makes a career in podcasting, and while that is true now, podcasting as a ‘career’ was not an option for Evo until the mid-2010s. On a recent episode of Evo’s own podcast, Podcast Pontification, he mentioned some of the jobs he has had in the past. Tire sales….advertising…travel blogging….I knew Evo must have an interesting story to tell so I invited him to share it on Career Crossroads. Luckily for me, he was willing to tell his story, so sit back, relax, and listen to Evo walk me through all the twists and turns of his career.
Also mentioned in this episode are previous Career Crossroads guests: ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Hailee – From Primate Rehabilitation to Police Officer Specializing in Forensics | 06 Jul 2022 | 01:18:14 | |
#73 – Have you ever wanted to collect data on wild jaguars or help rehabilitate a monkey with a broken arm? Well then let me introduce you to Hailee Hallas. Along with tree-planting in northern Ontario, studying these animals was some of the first employment opportunities she received in her young career after completing an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies from Carleton University. Despite how amazing these jobs may seem they were not without their drawbacks. Little pay and massive competition made that industry incredibly difficult to break into beyond short-term contract roles. Given that, Hailee decided that a more specific education would help her in the future, so she headed off to Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland to obtain her Master of Science. With her new degree in hand, Hailee obtained a job as a Field biologist studying bird and bat mortality on wind farms. As an outsider looking in, it would seem that her further education had paid off and her career in conservation was well underway. How then, did Hailee come to enter an entirely new career as a Police Officer just three years later? That is a long story and you’ll have to listen to the interview for the details. Also discussed in our conversation is how Hailee has been able to balance employment opportunities with another passion of hers – travel. Having visited more than 30 countries by her 30th birthday, Hailee tells me about how the flexibility of her first career allowed her to enjoy her life, even if that career didn’t provide the financial stability she eventually sought. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| What I've Been Up To | 29 Jun 2022 | 00:21:28 | |
Career Crossroads is back after an unplanned break! Before we get into some new interviews, I’ve got some updates about why there has been such a long break as well as some information about some other projects I’ve been working on. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Jenn – The Path to Founding Cheekbone Beauty | 13 Apr 2022 | 00:58:27 | |
#71 – In 2016, Jenn Harper founded Cheekbone Beauty despite having no previous experience in the cosmetics industry. This was a major career change as up until that point she had worked exclusively in hospitality and in wholesale foods, leveraging her strong relationships with chefs to succeed. In this episode, Jenn tells me about the jobs and experiences that led her to Cheekbone Beauty and all the things she’s had to learn over the last six years to make her company such a success. With Cheekbone’s sustainability efforts, support of Indigenous youth and women, and general success as a business, it’s clear Jenn made the right choice when confronted with her own career crossroad. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Matt Cooksey – How A Breakdown Led Him To The Perfect Career | 20 Oct 2023 | 00:50:47 | |
#98 - Matt Cooksey ended up in his first career because he was following a family member's footsteps, and it took him almost a decade to realize he wasn't happy. He was always chasing something - more money or a promotion - that would make him happy, right? ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Isil – Overcoming Fear and Finding Her Creative Self | 30 Mar 2022 | 01:23:25 | |
#70 - Isil Uysal Cavelli grew up in Izmir, Turkey, and didn't have a lot of role models. Consequently, if you told her that she couldn't have a specific career she would believe you without giving it much thought. Dancing? No, she was a chubby kid and it was unlikely she would become a professional. Doctor? No, it was too stressful and required too much studying to become a professional. Artist? No, it was not a stable career and art is more of a hobby anyway. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Priya – How a Broadcaster Dabbled in Teaching on the Way to a Career in Technology | 02 Mar 2022 | 01:20:01 | |
#69 – Priya Sam grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, and was torn between two interests. Should she explore her interest in teaching, something she developed entirely on her own, or should she work towards a path in journalism, a career her parents suggested she had a specific skillset for?
Find Priya on Instagram (@priyasam) and Twitter (@priyasam) or by searching her name on Facebook and LinkedIn. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Rest, Recovery, and Dreaming | 16 Feb 2022 | 00:31:20 | |
#68 - After eight weeks off, Career Crossroads is back! I'm rested and somewhat recovered so it's time for an update on what's been going on with me and the podcast.
Starting next week we'll be back to new interviews, and in the meantime, please take a second to subscribe to the NEW Career Crossroad's YouTube channel by clicking here, or searching for Career Crossroads on YouTube. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Best of Career Crossroads #4 - Lindsay Graham | 09 Feb 2022 | 01:19:33 | |
#67 - This week is the fourth and final episode of the Best of Career Crossroads series before I return with new episodes. This week we're revisiting my interview with Lindsay Graham from March 2021. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Best of Career Crossroads #3 - Ashlee | 03 Feb 2022 | 01:10:53 | |
In episode #3 of the Best of Career Crossroads series, we revisit my interview with Ashlee. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Best of Career Crossroads #2 - Kait | 26 Jan 2022 | 01:16:53 | |
In episode #2 of the Best of Career Crossroads series, we revisit my interview with Kait. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Best of Career Crossroads #1 - Robbie | 19 Jan 2022 | 01:18:11 | |
As I take a break from posting new interviews I'll be hightailing some of my favorite episodes from the past year and a half. This is week one of the Best of Career Crossroads series of episodes. Today, we're featuring Robbie. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| December 2021 Update - The Burnout is Real | 22 Dec 2021 | 00:27:12 | |
#63 - We’ve had twelve new interviews since Career Crossroads one year anniversary so it’s time for another update episode. Let’s talk about both the good and the bad of the last three months of running Career Crossroads, and what changes are coming in the short term. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Dakota – How Knowing His Values Led Him to Become A Professional Co-Author | 15 Dec 2021 | 01:19:38 | |
#62 – Dakota LaMarre has never thought of his career as a way to make money. Yes, making money is necessary and yes, it’s a by-product of the jobs he has had over the years, but he needed more out of a career. He needed to find a career that would allow him to live the values his parents instilled in him when he was young: achieving his potential, doing something great, and helping people. While he tried to figure out what career path would provide that fulfillment, he spent his free time learning and growing as a person. Even then, being a hard worker doesn’t mean there won’t be bumps in the road. Dakota’s story involves ‘accidentally’ quitting a job, getting fired from another, and buying a one-way ticket to Barcelona, all in the name of finding a career that he loves. Did he find what he was looking for? Yes. Now, as a professional co-author, Dakota helps people put their ideas on paper, and his first book, I Love Mondays, looks like it will be the first of many in a successful writing career. Where you can connect with Dakota: Website: dakotalamarre.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dakota-lamarre Instagram: instagram.com/dakotalamarre ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Robert – From Journalism to Web Accessibility Advocate | 08 Dec 2021 | 01:06:22 | |
#61 - With influences like Stephen King and Lemony Snicket, Robert Kingett, who was born blind and with cerebral palsy, realized at a young age that writing was a fantastic way to express himself. Initially setting out to start his writing career as a journalist, Robert built up a portfolio by writing about anything and everything from human interest stories to sports coverage. While he had a solid plan for how to get noticed by the big local Chicago newspapers, it didn't take long for Robert to realize that newspapers did not value the stories he wanted to write about. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Stephanie Chan - Leaving Law Behind to Help the Elderly | 17 Aug 2023 | 00:22:37 | |
#97 - Getting a law degree and passing the bar is quite the task, so it's not often people go through all that work only to leave their law career behind. That's what makes Stephanie Chan such an anomaly - she did exactly that. Today, I talk to Stephanie about how why she left law behind and what prompted her to found Home to Home Advisory Services and myCareBase. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Greg – How a Traumatic Brain Injury Changed His Path | 01 Dec 2021 | 00:58:51 | |
#60 – Greg Noack was not happy with his life in his early 20’s. He had moved to British Columbia with plans to start anew after being unhappy with the options his business diploma afforded him in Ontario. He was not in B.C for long before his life was profoundly impacted on a cold morning in November of 1996. As he was walking home from work in the early hours of the morning, Greg was assaulted from behind in a random act of violence. Greg fell into a coma and for fifteen days he teetered on the brink of life and death. On day fifteen, Greg suddenly woke up with no recollection of what happened but more concerningly, had almost no control over his own body. He had lost most of his motor function control including the ability to express emotions and was reliant on a feeding tube for nutrition. Despite his circumstances, Greg had an incredible group of people supporting him in his family and friends. All the while, there was another group supporting Greg; the doctors, nurses, and therapists who helped him on his road to recovery. This is the story of Greg’s recovery, and how these individuals led him to want to help others recovering from traumatic brain injuries. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Sydney – TikTok Travel and Tech Sales | 24 Nov 2021 | 00:58:04 | |
#59 – Many people know Sydney as the ‘TikTok travel sales girl’ where she’s gained a significant following (160k+) by telling stories about the crazy phone calls she received while helping people book their dream vacations. Does Sydney’s TikTok fame figure into the future of her career? No, Sydney is a realist and sees social media for what it is: a way for people to share funny stories, trends, and ultimately take a break from the pressures of their lives. Given that, what does Sydney want to do with her life, and what has been the path that’s led her to where she is today? Listen to her interview to hear how softball, travel sales, and a job that just wasn’t the right fit have all played a part in getting Sydney into a career she loves. Along the way, we hear how intentional planning and research can both help you find the perfect fit, but still, sometimes lead you into a job where there isn’t a cultural fit. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Ken – The Path From Paycheck to Purpose | 17 Nov 2021 | 00:56:12 | |
#58 – Ken Coleman is known as America’s Career Coach, and for good reason. As the host of The Ken Coleman show, a nationally broadcast radio show on SiriusXM radio, he spends an hour each day talking to people about their career struggles and how to overcome them. The reason Ken is so effective at helping people navigate their career crossroads is that he’s been there himself. After years working in politics, Ken realized that was not the future he wanted for himself so he had some soul searching to do. In his 30’s with a wife and children he was starting from scratch and Ken knew he had a lot of work to do. When he decided that broadcasting was the path he wanted to pursue, Ken went after that goal with everything he had, including buying his own airtime on a local radio station to get experience. His hard work and talent were noticed and one job opportunity led to another until Ken landed a role working with Dave Ramsey at Ramsey Solutions. It was there that Ken was offered the chance to host his own show and reached the peak he had been working towards. Standing on top of his Everest, Ken knew that he could do more to help people struggling with their careers the way he had. That thought led Ken to write his newest book, From Paycheck to Purpose, where he gives the reader a clear path to doing the work they love. Broken into seven stages that you will experience on your path to the dream job, Ken’s easy-to-follow advice will get you where you want to be, as long as you are willing to put in the work required. Listen to his interview to hear more about the path that led Ken to where he is today and what inspired him to write From Paycheck to Purpose. You can purchase From Paycheck to Purpose and Ken’s other guides and resources at kencoleman.com and follow Ken on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube. To support Career Crossroads, click here To leave Career Crossroads a review, click here You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroadspodcast.com or follow us on social media Instagram: @career_crossroads ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Crian - Career Paths in Five Countries | 10 Nov 2021 | 01:00:23 | |
#57 – From his beginnings in South Africa, to his education in the United States and Ireland, on to his careers in South Korea and Taiwan, Crain Padayachee has experienced more change in his 39 years than most of us will experience in a lifetime. So how does a man who purports to not like change end up living in five different countries? A combination of education opportunities, visa applications, and relationships have all played a part in his world travels and with each plane ride came the need to pivot his career. After his childhood dream of becoming a fighter pilot due to the TV show JAG, Crian has worked in accounting, teaching, and programming. Now, after 12 years of living in Taiwan, Crian could have settled into his teaching career for the rest of his life, but he’s shifted his career once again. As the community manager for Amun, a company in the crypto space, as well as working in public relations for a well-known Taiwanese architect, Crian’s career path continues to evolve. Curious how he pivoted his career while moving across 5 countries? Listen in to Crian’s interview to find out more. You can listen to Crian’s Inside Crypto podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find podcasts. You can Follow Crian on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook To support Career Crossroads, click here To leave Career Crossroads a review, click here You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroadspodcast.com or follow us on social media Instagram: @career_crossroads ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Lena – Business and Engineering and Technology, Oh My | 03 Nov 2021 | 01:23:04 | |
#56 – Lena Xiang is the founder of Open Classroom Experience, a virtual global innovation program for Gen Z leaders that helps them have a valuable virtual intercultural experience that prepares them to thrive in an everchanging world. This venture is relatively new and is the culmination of Lena working to determine how she could create a positive social impact on the world around her. The journey that led Lena to Open Classroom Experience has taken her from Toronto to Shanghai, New York, San Francisco, and Hanoi, all before settling back in Toronto. In this time she’s explored the world of economics, engineering, and technology, and it’s the culmination of a lot of learning and discovery that’s gotten her to where she is today. The best part: in high school, Lena thought she might work in animation or graphic design! Read more about Open Classroom Experience on their website or follow them on Instagram. To support Career Crossroads, click here To leave Career Crossroads a review, click here You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroadspodcast.com or follow us on social media Instagram: @career_crossroads ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Brooke – The Highs and Lows of Politics and Beyond | 27 Oct 2021 | 01:08:06 | |
#55 – Politics runs in Brooke Crewson’s blood. From the age of five, she was helping her dad go door-to-door in his political campaigns, and at 15 she made the conscious decision to start volunteering to support campaigns she believed in. Despite that, she wasn’t 100% convinced of her future and pursued the parallel path of history and politics while studying at Wilfrid Laurier University. When she received job offers in both fields after graduating, Brooke had a tough decision to make. Should she pursue the potentially more stable job at a museum, or keep working towards a job she’d been dreaming about since she was 15? Brooke chose an internship at the Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and immediately was hooked. Not long after, however, a change of government left Brooke without a job – an experience she’s had more than once in her career. Brooke isn’t a quitter, and she’s bounced back each time. As she’s advanced her career, gaining new experiences in new offices, Brooke has developed a passion for creating and influencing positive public policies. With the instability of working for a government that can be voted out of office, Brooke has learned to take her extensive skill set and apply it to other areas, which has led her to work with Ryerson University’s Diversity Institute, and more recently as a Government Relations Consultant at Crestview Strategy. What can we learn from Brooke’s career journey? Listen to her interview to find out. You can connect with Brooke through LinkedIn To support Career Crossroads, click here To leave Career Crossroads a review, click here You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroadspodcast.com or follow us on social media Instagram: @career_crossroads ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Keith - Opera Singer to Coffee Cocktail Artisan | 20 Oct 2021 | 01:18:27 | |
#54 – Growing up in Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and the United States, Keith Honda had a world of options when he finished university. With his deep voice and talent for singing, Keith chose to come to Wilfrid Laurier University for their renowned music program where, as my roommate, he proceeded to wake me up every morning when he sang in the shower. Despite all the fun we had, the transition to university was not so smooth and after his first year, Keith headed back to Michigan where his parents resided at the time. Now, more than a decade later, Keith is the General Manager of Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters in Rochester, Michigan, and creates the rotating coffee-infused cocktail menu for the whole café chain. So how did he end up there? Keith’s story involves a six-and-a-half-year college degree, an American Idol audition, an attempt at working in real estate, and a part-time job where he found his true passion in coffee. Listen in to hear his entire fascinating story, and to hear what lessons I think we can learn from Keith’s journey. Find Dessert Oasis on Instagram - @dessertoasiscoffeeroasters Find Keith on Instagram - @khonda66 ______________________ To support Career Crossroads, click here To leave Career Crossroads a review, click here You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroadspodcast.com or follow us on social media Instagram: @career_crossroads ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Jabez – Mechanical Engineering to Business Consulting | 13 Oct 2021 | 01:00:45 | |
#53 – Growing up in Mozambique, Jabez Ivan Joshiraj was always interested in building things when he was younger. Both cars and airplanes were fascinating and he decided that one day, he wanted to be the person behind their design. As a means to that end, when he graduated high school he headed to India, where he was born, to study mechanical engineering. As he progressed through university, he worked on an engineering project that required him to source supplies. With this, he discovered the world of supply chain management, and that prodded him to continue to look deeper into how businesses function once they have a product to sell. Supply chain led to marketing, marketing led to sales, and suddenly Jabez was hooked. When it came time to do his placement at the end of his education, he was committed – understanding the processes of business was his new passion and he was going to pursue it, despite graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering. Now, years later, Jabez is a business consultant working with a multitude of clients, while also running a support group for African start-ups as a way to give back to the place that he grew up. You can email Jabez at hello@jabezivanj.con or find him on Instagram at @jabezivanj You can find Jabez's Startup Africa - Support Group here ______________________ To support Career Crossroads, click here To leave a review, click here You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroadspodcast.com or follow us on social media Instagram: @career_crossroads ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Lauren – From Retail, to Music, to Mobile Flower Shop | 06 Oct 2021 | 01:17:40 | |
#52 – The first thing Lauren Vandervecht ever thought she wanted to do for a career was be an interior designer. At the time it was the only job she knew of where she could be creative and while that career never came to pass, the thought process gives us a good indication of the direction she would head in. With stops in retail, music, and e-commerce both in Canada and the United States, Lauren’s story is full of twists and turns. She left opportunities that didn’t feel right and went after new opportunities without fear of failure. This, tied with her ability as a quick learner, led Lauren to be given increasing levels of responsibility and in early 2020 she was working as the E-commerce Coordinator for a Toronto-based jeweler. While she learned a lot in that role, the company placed outlandish expectations on her. When she was asked to add weekends to her already busy work schedule, it was an easy decision to move on to the next thing. This clean break provided Lauren with the time to work more fully on a concept she had been thinking about: mobile flower shops. There are plenty in Europe, but why aren’t there any in Canada? A week of research was all she needed to commit to the idea and her business, Sunday Love Mobile Flower Shop was born. Listen to Lauren tell me about how she started her business and how every decision on her career path has led her to this point in time. A time where she gets to do a job that she loves every single day. To support Career Crossroads, click here To leave Career Crossroads a review, click here You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroadspodcast.com or follow us on social media Instagram: @career_crossroads ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Cayla – Hospitality to Healing | 29 Sep 2021 | 01:18:26 | |
#51 – Cayla Schafer has had to pivot her career more than once due to her health. Misdiagnosed celiac disease wreaked havoc on her life while she made her way through university and her illness ultimately forced her to leave her thoughts of pursuing a career in acting behind. As she began to recover, she picked up a job serving at a restaurant in Toronto and was immediately hooked. Serving ticked all the right boxes: she could talk to people, problem solve, and each day was different. She began to see a future in hospitality and thought about how to climb the ladder and what her future would look like. At the same time, she valued the flexibility of being a server as it allowed her to work in other cities if she needed a change of scenery. Cayla found the right balance of serving while picking up opportunities as a shift leader and trainer, and everything was great - until it wasn’t. After a 5 week trip to Calgary where she trained the staff of a new restaurant while working 16+ hour days, her adrenal glands were shot. After a few days off in Toronto where she just couldn’t sleep, she was headed back to her first shift at her serving job but collapsed on the sidewalk. While the change wasn’t immediate, it was at this moment she knew that she needed to leave hospitality behind and once again pivot to another career for her health. By this point in time, fitness had become an important part of Cayla’s life outside of her job. She had trained as a trauma-sensitive yoga instructor and had an experience at a Soul Cycle in New York City that showed her how valuable that could be to her life. As Soul Cycle had expanded to Toronto, she was able to get a job as an instructor and suddenly her path became more clear: work as an instructor there while teaching trauma-sensitive yoga on the side. While all this was happening, Cayla had also started a blog, The Move to Heal Project. As the blog grew, so did Cayla’s ambition and she began to plan a future as an entrepreneur. She has all these skills to help others heal – why not do that while working for herself? In February 2020 she left Soul Cycle and has been working on The Move to Heal Project full time ever since. Listen to her interview to hear the full story.
Also mentioned in this episode:
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| Mike Gallagher – Taking his Creativity from Film to the World of Marketing | 31 Jul 2023 | 01:06:40 | |
#96 - As Mike Gallagher spent his teenage years filming his friends skateboarding around the Metro Vancouver area, someone took notice. A high school teacher recognized Mike’s aptitude for film and developed an independent study course that allowed Mike free reign over the school’s media equipment. It didn’t take long for Mike to become hooked and as he approached graduation he applied to the Art Institute of Vancouver’s Digital Film and Production program. The plan was for Mike to live out his dream of working in Vancouver’s continually expanding film industry. ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| One Year of Career Crossroads | 08 Sep 2021 | 00:23:45 | |
#50 – This week marks one year since the launch of Career Crossroads, and it’s time to celebrate and reflect! In 23 minutes, I pack in all of the following:
I really can't express how happy I am with how this episode turned out and I hope you enjoy it! To support Career Crossroads, click here To leave a review, click here For Ronak’s business Play A Latte, click here For Ardi’s Fiverr Page, click here For Helen’s coaching website, click here ______________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Nicholas – From Business to Film Production | 01 Sep 2021 | 01:24:50 | |
#49 – As a child, Nicholas loved to tell stories and would make home movies and short films with his siblings and neighborhood kids. He even took some acting classes and was in a local commercial in London, Ontario. However, when he reached high school, he excelled in business classes and decided to pursue a business degree at Wilfrid Laurier University without really knowing what he wanted his future career to be. At Laurier, he decided to specialize in marketing but it was his volunteer experiences where he truly thrived. With summer jobs at the campus Student Leadership Centre, Nicholas began to consider a career in Student Affairs and even worked as a Laurier recruiter for a short time after graduating. It was during his time on the road where he reflected on what he should do with his business degree and ultimately decided that he needed to put it to work in the film and television industry. Luckily, Bell Canada, one of Canada’s largest telecommunications companies, has a Graduate Development Program where he could switch jobs every 7 months to get a better sense of the company as a whole before landing a more permanent career. He enthusiastically applied and was accepted with the hope of getting a job in Bell Media, Bell’s television broadcasting and production subsidiary. Despite the many mentors he had at Bell, and despite him excelling in all of his roles, Nicholas was unable to find a role at Bell Media. He had to get his storytelling fix another way and joined a group that made short films on the weekends. Life went on like this for a while until one day Nicholas found a lump on his testicle that was quickly diagnosed as testicular cancer. The good news is that he caught it early and is now can cancer-free, but this health scare prompted him to really consider if he would be happy doing the same thing day to day in five years. When the answer was no, he knew he needed to make a change. Three years later, Nicholas is entering his final year of Film School at Columbia University and working on his thesis film, Elegy for a Glacier. Listen to his interview to hear his entire career journey and how many people influenced him along the way. To support Career Crossroads, click here To leave Career Crossroads a review, click here You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroadspodcast.com or follow us on social media Instagram: @career_crossroads ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||
| Ben – From Indie Rocker to Journalist | 25 Aug 2021 | 00:57:22 | |
#48 – Growing up in the west end of Toronto, Ben Spurr’s favourite thing to do was get together for jam sessions with his friends. What started as a way for them to hang out became something more when they realized they had the talent to make something of themselves. That’s how Ben’s band, The Coast, got their start. Despite the possibilities of making music for a living, Ben also had an interest in furthering his education. He enrolled at the University of Toronto to study History, English, and African Studies and had to strike a delicate balance of academics with the band’s schedule. This balance was somewhat disrupted as Ben took an interest in journalism while working at The Varsity, UofT’s school newspaper, and he reduced his course load to make his schedule work. At the same time, the band was also experiencing some significant success. With a manager and a record label, The Coast was able to book tours across Canada, the USA, and Europe and even had the distinction (I can’t convey how sarcastic I'm being) of having one of their songs in a Canadian broadcast of Jersey Shore. As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end and after touring to support their second album, the band decided it was time to move onto other ventures. This was a turn of events that Ben was prepared for as he had kept his toe in the journalism pond while the band was touring and making music. He had stints writing for BlogTO and The Mark before settling in at NOW Magazine as their city hall reporter just in time to get a front-row seat to Toronto’s Rob Ford debacle that made international headlines. He was able to parlay that ‘trial by fire’ experience into a contract with The Toronto Star and five years later Ben is Toronto’s go-to source for transit reporting. Listen to his interview to hear the full story of how Ben pivoted from indie rock musician to reporter for the biggest newspaper in Canada. You can listen to The Coast on Spotify To support Career Crossroads, click here To leave Career Crossroads a review, click here You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroadspodcast.com or follow us on social media Instagram: @career_crossroads ___________________ Instagram: @career_crossroads | |||