Career Crossroads

#30 – Helen Hanison has lived a life of two careers. After stumbling a little as a teenager, she attended university at the age of 21 to get a degree in Media and Communications and after spending a term during her degree working at a high-profile Public Relations firm, she was hooked. This experience led to a long career working in PR in increasingly difficult positions, in multiple cities in her native England. Despite her success in the industry, it wasn’t an entirely smooth road. The fast-paced field created a lot of turnover and she had to navigate new supervisors and new firms along the way. 

Children and a move to New York City put a pause on that career but upon returning to England, she headed back to the frontlines of Public Relations. When things just seemed to not fit anymore, she headed back to school as a mature student to get a Bachelor of Psychology, as it was always the relationships with co-workers and clients that interested her about PR. Now, Helen is a successful Leadership Coach, helping people take the skills they currently have and find a new direction in which they can utilize them to their fullest potential.

Helen's Contact Information

Website: helenhanison.com

Social Media: @HHanison

Helen’s Complimentary Career Framework:  click here

______________________

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

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

Twitter: @jcollaton

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

___________________
You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroads.ca or follow us on social media:

Instagram: @career_crossroads

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

#29 - James Cridland knew from the time he was a teenager that radio and technology were two of his biggest passions. Given that, he had a fairly easy time deciding where to try and get hired after high school; a radio station. In a weird twist, early on in his career he was fired and rehired by the same person, but he realized that being the on-air talent full time didn’t allow him the creativity he desired. Using his other skillsets, over the next number of years he ran a radio station website, created a media directory, and was involved in the world’s first phone app for a radio station. Then a head-hunter approached him about a job with the BBC and while he took it, it proved to be a terrible decision. Since leaving, James has found his place consulting for radio stations around the world and ventured into the world of podcasting where he now runs Podnews, a daily newsletter and podcast that allows him to utilize both of his passions in tandem.

You can find James at the following websites and social media accounts:

Podnews Website: podnews.net 

Personal Website: james.cridland.net

Twitter: @JamesCridland

______________________

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

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

Twitter: @jcollaton

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

___________________
You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroads.ca or follow us on social media:

Instagram: @career_crossroads

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

#28 – Jessica Bondy has always been a natural leader and from a young age she developed a passion for helping others. Towards the end of high school, as she tried to figure out what career path to go down, she flipped open a book about careers and landed on recreation therapist. Everything about the job seemed right so she set off to the University of Waterloo to begin her education. 

While excelling academically in her undergraduate degrees (she did two of them simultaneously), Jessica became heavily involved in student life, specifically in the area of housing. While she had plans to pursue a full-time Master’s degree once she graduated, a full-time job popped up in Campus Housing and Jessica jumped at the opportunity, thus beginning her career in Student Affairs.  

Years later while on maternity leave from another role at the university, Jessica began to feel like she needed to make a change. After testing out many options, she realized that if she wanted to ensure happiness in her future career she needed to get back to her roots and help those in need. As she began to explore the non-profit sector, a crazy turn of events led her to become the Housing Director at House a Friendship in the Waterloo Region of Ontario, Canada; a role she is still in today.

Social Links for House of Friendship

Website: https://www.houseoffriendship.org/

Twitter: @hofwatreg

Facebook: @houseoffriendshipwr  

______________________

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

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

Twitter: @jcollaton

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

___________________
You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroads.ca or follow us on social media:

Instagram: @career_crossroads

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

#27 – Kristy Bernardo is the woman behind the wildly successful blog The Wicked Noodle, however, being a professional foodie wasn’t always in her future. Growing up in small town Wisconsin, Kristy didn’t have s strong sense of what she should pursue after high school although it didn’t take long for her to find out that she excelled in retail. After 5 promotions in 5 months, she was managing her own store in another state by the age of 20! Next came a move to Southern California where she lived for 16 years as she advanced her career through various companies from Payroll Specialist all the way up to Vice President of Human Resources for Wahoo’s Fish Taco. Upon having children, Kristy became a stay-at-home mom who had to learn how to cook, so she thought she might as well blog about it and this, The Wicked Noodle was born. Despite her low expectations, the blog gained a following quickly and within 6 months she was working with advertisers and opportunities were presenting themselves. Now, 12 years later, food blogging has taken Kristy farther than she ever imagined. She’s been a national spokesperson for major brands, worked with famous chefs, hosted TV shows and publish 5 cookbooks – all from a little hobby blog. Listen to her Career Crossroads interview to hear the whole story.

Kristy can be found at the following links:

Website: www.thewickednoodle.com

Social Media: @thewickednoodle

Or look for any of Kristy's cookbooks on Amazon or wherever you buy books:

• The Big Book of Instant Pot Recipes: 240 Must-Try Dishes for your Multi-Function Cooker
• Weeknight Keto: 75 East and Quick Recipes for Delicious Low-Carb Meals
• Cooking from Frozen in Your Instant Pot: 100 Foolproof Recipes with No Thawing
• Weeknight Cooking with Your Instant Pot: Simple Family-Friendly Meals Made Better in Half the Time 
• Easy Cooking with Your Ninja Foodi: 75 Recipes for Incredible One-Pot Meals in Half the Time 

______________________

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

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

Twitter: @jcollaton

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

___________________
You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroads.ca or follow us on social media:

Instagram: @career_crossroads

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

#26 – Christine Dainard is in a vastly different place now than she was when she left high school in her teens. After not getting her diploma, she became a top 10 salesperson, nationwide, for a Canadian exercise equipment retailer. It wasn’t because she was really good at convincing people to buy things - Christine was just really good at understanding people’s needs and with her friendly and energetic personality, she was able to find solutions to their problems. After having a child and going through a divorce, Christine was looking for a change and upon evaluating her interests, decided that Public Relations was what she would pursue. After getting a college diploma, Christine put in the work to get a full-time government job that would provide her with the stability she wanted for her and her son, but after many years of hard work, the pressure of the job began to take its toll. As she struggled with what to do about a career she wasn’t happy with, a friend brought Christine to a winery in Norfolk County in Ontario for a relaxing weekend. Christine was awestruck by the tranquility of the area and literally couldn’t stop the words from coming out of her mouth – she was going to start a winery tour business. Five years later, Buzz Tour Company is Christine’s full-time career and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Listen to Christine’s career journey today!

Christine's Website: buzztourcompany.ca

Christine's Social Media: @buzztourco

______________________

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

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

Twitter: @jcollaton

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

___________________
You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroads.ca or follow us on social media:

Instagram: @career_crossroads

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

#25 - Composer, voice actor, sound designer, host. These are some of the words you can use to describe what Lindsay Graham does in his current career as a full-time podcast creator. He's the man behind American History Tellers, American Scandal, Business Movers, and many other hit podcasts that are part of the Wondery network, however, podcasting has really only comprised the last handful of years of Lindsay's career. Prior to that, he worked in insurance sales, marketing, accounting, and a variety of other roles that are not directly related to what he does today. So how did he go from those jobs to podcaster? You’ll have to check out his Career Crossroads interview to find out.

______________________

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

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

Twitter: @jcollaton

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

___________________
You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroads.ca or follow us on social media:

Instagram: @career_crossroads

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

#24 – Early in her professional career in India, Priyanka Ojha has moved around a lot. It started when she got her degree in mechanical engineering and was quickly recruited by Bosch to work in their diesel engine pump division. But one year into that career, Priyanka decided to expand her professional credentials and began a Masters of Business Administration in Finance. That led her to jobs in business development and employee engagement before she packed up to move again – this time to Germany where her husband’s career was located. Now working in software consulting for Deloitte, Priyanka has come a long way from where she started her career. Listen to episode 24 of Career Crossroads to hear Priyanka reflect on the career path she has chosen.

Social Links for Priyanka

Podcast: peoplesstoriespodcast.com

Social Media: @peoplesstoriespod

______________________

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

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

Twitter: @jcollaton

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

___________________
You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroads.ca or follow us on social media:

Instagram: @career_crossroads

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

#23 – Ivan Lu was driven by respect and competition to follow in his brother’s footsteps in a corporate career. To make that dream a reality he decided to get a degree in Commerce, something that would provide him with a variety of opportunities when he graduated. While in university, his internships/co-op experiences helped him realize that some of what he was studying was just not that interesting. He did not want to sit in a room and crunch numbers so upon graduating he tried to find a job with more of a client-facing role. Bouncing between a couple of jobs, Ivan found himself spending more and more time on one of his hobbies, singing, and soon realized he needed to set off down a totally different career path than the one he initially intended.  Now, two and a half years later Ivan has his own vocal coaching business and is thriving.

Website and Podcast: singingsimply.com

Instagram: @singingwithivan

______________________

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

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

Twitter: @jcollaton

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

___________________
You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroads.ca or follow us on social media:

Instagram: @career_crossroads

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

#22 – Chris Johnson has an idyllic life working at his own skate shop, Passion Board Shop, in Eau Claire Wisconsin. But when he was 18, life didn’t look like it was heading in that direction. With an interest in sales, Chris decided to study business at the University of Minnesota Duluth but quickly decided the degree was unnecessary. As he had learned working at a Zoomies store in his teens, you just had to be a good salesperson to succeed in sales, and that is what he wanted to do. Chris set out to begin climbing the corporate ladder at Kay Jewellers, Helzberg Diamonds, and eventually landed at Verizon Wireless as an Assistant Manager. Then one day, he looked around and realized he didn’t like the person he was becoming and decided to make a change. How does that lead to opening a skate shop?  Listen to Chris’s interview to find out.

Find Chris at the links below

Instagram: @passionpod

Podcast/Business Website: https://www.passionboardshop.com/ 

______________________

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

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

Twitter: @jcollaton

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

___________________
You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroads.ca or follow us on social media:

Instagram: @career_crossroads

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

#21 – Raised in rural Kansas, Scott Mason would look up at the stars at night and dream of two things – disco and the big city! After finishing his undergraduate degree in Minneapolis, Scott was accepted into Columbia Law School and was quickly trying to find his place in New York. Upon realizing that his passion lay more in advocacy work, and not in litigation, he began working for the City of New York. During his 20-year career there he was involved in numerous projects and initiatives that he can be proud of but something wasn’t sitting right, and one day Scott decided to leave his job for the great unknown. While trying to figure out what was next, he began working as a small business consultant which opened up a world of opportunities that directly influence the work he does today. Listen to Scott's interview to hear his entire career journey.

Scott’s Websites: scottmasonllc.com and speakerscott.com
Scott’s Podcast: Purpose Highway
Scott’s social media:  @s.scott_mason

______________________

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

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

Twitter: @jcollaton

TikTok: @jonathancollaton

___________________
You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroads.ca or follow us on social media:

Instagram: @career_crossroads

LinkedIn: Career Crossroads Podcast

Facebook: Career Crossroads Podcast

TikTok: @jonathancollaton