Getting to where you want to be in your career is not always as linear as we might think. Not everyone picks one career path and sticks to it for the rest of their lives, and lots of people are confused about what they want out of their career. Career Crossroads is on a mission to help people realize that being confused is okay - it happens to more people than you think! Host Jonathan Collaton talks to people with winding career paths, hears about the best advice career counsellors and caree ...
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Podcasting can quickly become overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you want to learn how to start a podcast, Podcast Better can help with that. On the other hand if you’ve already started a podcast and you’re feeling stuck, lacking motivation, or you’re unsure you’re doing things the right way, I can help you there too. I’ve been podcasting since 2015. I’ve produced four unique shows and hundreds of episodes garnering hundreds of thousands of downloads. I’ve learned what make ...
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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. In this final episode of the podcast, I discuss why I'm saying goodbye and thank those who have helped me make it this far. ___________________ You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroads.ca or follow us on …
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Mike Fernandes - Leaving his YouTube Career Behind for a shot at Student Affairs
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#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 …
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Career Coach Conversations with Betty Xie
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#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 a…
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Matt Cooksey – How A Breakdown Led Him To The Perfect Career
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#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? It wasn't until he unexpectedly broke down that Matt that Matt realized that staying on that…
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Stephanie Chan - Leaving Law Behind to Help the Elderly
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#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…
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Mike Gallagher – Taking his Creativity from Film to the World of Marketing
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#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 …
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Collision Conference 2023 Interviews - Chatting with Tech Founders Who Changed Their Careers
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#95 – When you go to a tech conference like Collision, you might expect that all the founders attending to showcase their companies have deep roots in the tech industry, My experience at Collision, however, shows me that is not always the case. In this episode, you’ll head my conversations with Austin of Seaube Software, Kaleda of Kilo, and Adam of…
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Kelvin Beachum - NFL Offensive Lineman and Investor
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#94 - This week’s guest on Career Crossroads is Kelvin Beachum, a professional football player who plays left tackle for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. As an 11-season veteran who has played in over 150 NFL games, you might think that Kelvin lives and breathes football but the truth is that Kelvin is not just a football play…
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#93 – When Sam Demma started his undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto Scarborough it didn’t take long for him to realize that while he might be in the right place, he was there at the wrong time. Had he put enough thought into his programs of study? Was he just going to school because that’s what he was supposed to do? These were quest…
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Career Coach Conversations with Soma Ghosh
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#92 - When clients come to Soma Ghosh to help them with their careers, they often want support in getting out of an untenable situation. As a Career Coach Soma can certainly help them move to a new job but if there are unaddressed underlying issues outside of their 9-5 they may end up feeling the same way soon enough. That's why Soma likes to go de…
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Dan Chan – From PayPal Mafia to Magician for Millionaires
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#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…
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Chronicling Career Crossroads - New Format Success and Fighting Burnout
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#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 exp…
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#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 beg…
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Career Coach Conversations with Chris M. Wilson
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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. As a career coach, Chris helps people find cla…
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#87 - What would you do if your ability to do your job disappeared overnight? How would you react? That's a question Andy Thibodeau wrestled with in March 2020 when Covid-19 shut down his career as a public speaker. As a 25+ year veteran of the industry, this was the only job Andy had ever really known and in the span of 48 hours, 31 bookings cance…
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Josh Green – From Acting, to Cookie Dough Connoisseur, to Business Consulting
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#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 …
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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 successfu…
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Career Coach Conversations with Wei Huang
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#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…
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#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. T…
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Chris Lewarne – From New York City corporate lawyer to Barry’s Bootcamp instructor in Toronto
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#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 contr…
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Chronicling Career Crossroads #5 - Where We Stand
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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. Despite the good news we share, plenty of work remains to do. If you're invested in the Career Crossroads journey, this episode is a must-l…
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Chronicling Career Crossroads #4 - Marketing
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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. Enter Ronak Patel. As a business owner, former guest of the show, and a friend, Ronak is…
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Chronicling Career Crossroads #3 - Content
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Content is king. You've probably heard or read that phrase over the last decade with the rise of online content creators, but the origins of the phrase can be traced to magazine editing in the 1970s. What does that have to do with this episode? Well, content is the subject of Chronicling Career Crossroads #3. For a podcast, every episode is conside…
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Chronicling Career Crossroads #2 – Research
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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 sup…
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Chronicling Career Crossroads #1 - The Career Crossroads Crossroad
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How do you handle change? Sometimes it’s forced upon us, and sometimes we just know it’s time. Sometimes change is needed. That is where I’m at with Career Crossroads. It’s changing. It’s evolving into something better and I’m going to take you along on the journey through that evolution. This is the first in a five-part series I’m calling Chronicl…
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Claudio – From Gas Station Manager, to Window Washer, to Flight Simulation Instructor
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#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 flyin…
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Evo – From Tire Sales, to Travel Blogging, to Podcast Pontificator
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#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 ‘…
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Hailee – From Primate Rehabilitation to Police Officer Specializing in Forensics
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#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 …
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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. After you've listened, check out my wife and I's new travel vlog on YouTube - Jon and Tash Travel ___________________…
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Jenn – The Path to Founding Cheekbone Beauty
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#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. So why cosmetics? What changed? Well, in 2015 as Jenn …
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Isil – Overcoming Fear and Finding Her Creative Self
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#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…
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Priya – How a Broadcaster Dabbled in Teaching on the Way to a Career in Technology
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#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? In this episode, we talk about how Priya chose journalism, and…
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#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. This episode recaps everything that's gone on in the time I was off, including; Rediscovering old passions Some podcast achievements Changes to the podcast The future of the podcast St…
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Best of Career Crossroads #4 - Lindsay Graham
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#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. _____________________ Composer, voice actor, sound designer, and host. These are some of the words you can use to describe what Lindsay Graham does in…
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Best of Career Crossroads #3 - Ashlee
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In episode #3 of the Best of Career Crossroads series, we revisit my interview with Ashlee. Being LeBron James’ first intern is a pretty cool way to start your career, and that’s exactly the job Ashlee Ammons was recommended for while attending university. All her involvement in university paid off as others were noticing her talents, work ethic, a…
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Best of Career Crossroads #2 - Kait
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In episode #2 of the Best of Career Crossroads series, we revisit my interview with Kait. Kait’s journey to her current career took her through a winding road in her late teens and early 20’s. She tried multiple educational paths and finally settled on fashion as her career of choice. But the path to being a Merchandising Manager was bumpy, and she…
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Best of Career Crossroads #1 - Robbie
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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. Robbie Berardi's story of becoming a skilled blacksmith starts when he graduated high school with plans to work at his loca…
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December 2021 Update - The Burnout is Real
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#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. ___________________ You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroads.ca or foll…
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Dakota – How Knowing His Values Led Him to Become A Professional Co-Author
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#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, …
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Robert – From Journalism to Web Accessibility Advocate
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#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 intere…
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Greg – How a Traumatic Brain Injury Changed His Path
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#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…
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#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: …
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#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 …
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Crian - Career Paths in Five Countries
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#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 combinat…
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Lena – Business and Engineering and Technology, Oh My
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#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…
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Brooke – The Highs and Lows of Politics and Beyond
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#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 whi…
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Keith - Opera Singer to Coffee Cocktail Artisan
1:18:27
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#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 sh…
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Jabez – Mechanical Engineering to Business Consulting
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#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 engin…
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Lauren – From Retail, to Music, to Mobile Flower Shop
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#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-comme…
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#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 T…
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