Making Your Mark Podcast

Reputation isn’t built by what you say — it’s built by what others say when you’re not there. Consistent behavior, trust, and delivery shape how people experience you long after you’ve left the room.

In this episode, I share a story from my time at Weir, leading a massive ERP implementation that tested my credibility and forced me to earn trust in high‑stakes environments. I talk about how an advocate helped open the door, how small wins built momentum, and how reputation transforms from “Can he deliver?” to “Can I get him on my project?” — even when you’re not in the room.

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 — Introduction

00:49 — Q1: “Mark, do you have an experience where your reputation was shaped in rooms where you weren’t in?”

04:46 — Q2: “What did that moment teach you about how reputations are formed?”

06:13 — Q3: “What do people misunderstand about how others perceive them?”

07:54 — Q4: “How did that experience change how you manage your presence?”

09:28 — Q5: “What advice would you give someone who wants to build a strong reputation?”

10:42 — Closing thoughts and engagement

DISCOVERY OPTIMIZATION

This episode explores how reputation is built through consistent behavior, trust, and delivery — often in rooms you’re not in. Ideal for early and mid‑career professionals who want to strengthen their credibility, earn trust, and understand how others experience their work.

Confidence isn’t something you’re born with — it’s something you build through action.

In this episode, I share the story of my first big break in business transformation at Brother Canada, when I had to present a 180‑day project plan to a room full of executives. I was nervous, inexperienced, and sweating through the pressure — but that moment taught me what confidence really is: showing up, doing the hard thing, and learning to trust yourself through the reps.

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 — Introduction

00:45 — Q1: “Mark, do you have an experience where you had to act confident even when you didn’t feel confident?”

08:05 — Q2: “What did that moment teach you about what confidence actually is?”

09:13 — Q3: “Why do people misunderstand confidence as a personality trait?”

10:19 — Q4: “How did that experience change how you build confidence today?”

12:22 — Q5: “What advice would you give someone who wants to build real confidence?”

13:57 — Closing thoughts and engagement

DISCOVERY OPTIMIZATION

This episode explores how real career confidence is built — not inherited. Ideal for early and mid‑career professionals learning to lead, present, and perform under pressure, even when they don’t feel ready.

Emotional reactions shape careers far more than technical skills — and most people only realize it after they hit a wall. Emotional patterns influence confidence, communication, reputation, and how people experience you at work.

In this episode, I share a story from early in my career, right after graduating in 2000, when I took a lab‑support job that bruised my ego and exposed emotional patterns I didn’t know I had. I talk about how insecurity showed up as arrogance, how that affected my reputation, what the experience revealed about emotional habits, why people misunderstand them, how I changed my approach, and the advice I’d give to anyone whose emotions are getting in the way of their growth.

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 — Introduction

01:28 — Q1: “Mark, do you have an experience where you learned your emotional patterns mattered more than your technical skills?”

05:59 — Q2: “What did that experience reveal about the emotional patterns you were carrying?”

08:00 — Q3: “Why do people underestimate emotional patterns?”

09:45 — Q4: “How did that experience change how you show up today?”

11:44 — Q5: “What advice would you give someone whose emotional patterns are holding them back?”

13:27 — Closing thoughts and engagement

DISCOVERY OPTIMIZATION

This episode explores how emotional patterns shape your career, influence your reputation, and affect how others experience you at work. Ideal for early and mid‑career professionals looking to build self‑awareness, improve communication, and grow into stronger leaders.

What happens when your early career path doesn’t fit, your strengths pull you in a different direction, and the work you’re “supposed” to do no longer aligns with who you’re becoming? For Caroline Samne, the turning point came when teaching, human‑centric leadership, and organizational development revealed a clearer path than the one she originally studied. Reinvention wasn’t a detour — it was the beginning of building a career rooted in clarity, purpose, and conscious work.

Caroline shares how early uncertainty, teaching breakthroughs, government bureaucracy, and the leap into entrepreneurship shaped her understanding of people, systems, and leadership. Today, as co‑founder of The Pillars, she helps leaders navigate culture, change, and human‑centric transformation. Her story is a grounded look at choosing fulfillment, designing a life that supports your values, and leading with humanity at the center.

She opens up about:

• Leaving psychology for human systems intervention

• How teaching shaped her understanding of human behavior

• Why capability isn’t about age — it’s about doing the work

• Navigating government bureaucracy and choosing fulfillment

• Redesigning life to support entrepreneurship

• Building The Pillars with the right partner

• Mindfulness, wellbeing, and conscious leadership

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Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Caroline Samne

02:25 Career Journey: From Social Services to Organizational Development

05:47 First Job After Undergrad

07:58 A Master’s in Psychology Wasn’t for Her

09:09 Discovering Human Systems Intervention

10:42 Field Supervisor Sparks Teaching Career

14:18 Lessons Learned Through Teaching

17:35 User‑Centric Approach to Teaching

20:47 Age vs Capability in Career Growth

24:33 Finding the Right Organizational Fit

29:42 Navigating Government Bureaucracy

34:42 Leaving Job Security for Fulfillment

36:21 Choosing Self‑Employment

38:59 Redesigning Life for Independent Work

42:15 Mental Preparation for Entrepreneurship

46:38 Building a Business vs Being Self‑Employed

53:33 Choosing the Right Business Partner

57:45 Navigating Partnership Challenges

01:04:24 Mindfulness and Wellbeing in Leadership

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Discovery Optimization

This episode explores teaching, human‑centric leadership, entrepreneurship, career reinvention, organizational development, and the realities of choosing fulfillment over security. Ideal for listeners interested in leadership growth, early‑career clarity, and building a values‑aligned professional path.

What happens when the career you worked so hard to build no longer feels aligned with who you are? For Nogol Madani, leaving engineering wasn’t a setback — it was the beginning of discovering her mission around culture, leadership, and psychological safety.

After completing her master’s in engineering at McGill, Nogol spent nearly six years in the field. Early on, she experienced facilitative leadership that energized her. Later, directive leadership environments left her drained and disconnected. That misalignment pushed her into deep self‑reflection and ultimately toward creating Glee Factor in 2017 — long before psychological safety became a mainstream leadership topic.

When COVID reshaped workplace culture and removed the serendipity of in‑person connection, leaders became more open to new approaches. Nogol transformed Glee Factor from a research project into a business helping middle managers build psychologically safe teams. In the final third of the episode, she and Mark explore AI, the future of work, and the human skills people will need to thrive.

She opens up about:

• Facilitative vs. directive leadership

• Losing yourself in a misaligned career

• Leaving engineering after deep self‑reflection

• Glee Factor’s origins as a 2017 research project

• Discovering psychological safety early

• Why leaders resisted psychological safety pre‑COVID

• COVID’s culture gap and new openness

• Turning Glee Factor into a business

• How AI is reshaping leadership

• Why human skills matter more than ever

Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:24 Iranian and Familial Influences on Early Career Choice

06:13 Not Knowing Herself Early; Soul Searching at 31

08:37 Cultural and Leadership Influences Leading Her Out of Engineering

11:04 Contrasting Leadership Styles in Engineering Roles

14:40 Leaving Engineering and Discovering Culture and Engagement

19:45 Birth of Glee Factor in 2017; Discovering Psychological Safety

22:50 What Psychological Safety Is

27:01 Challenges Promoting Psychological Safety in 2019

32:45 COVID’s Impact on Workplace Culture

35:39 Intentional Culture‑Building vs. Pre‑COVID Serendipity

37:17 Readiness to Learn Psychological Safety Post‑COVID

38:25 Turning Glee Factor into a Viable Business

42:42 Iterative Transition from Project to Business

44:29 Structural Differences Between Project and Business

45:53 Learning the Craft and Business Simultaneously

50:06 Supporting Leaders Through AI‑Driven Change

56:01 Reskilling and Upskilling for AI

57:47 Overcoming Fear of AI

01:01:41 Developing Social Skills AI Can’t Replace

01:05:37 Advice for Professionals

01:07:01 Contact Info and Close

Discovery Optimization

This episode explores psychological safety, leadership styles, career misalignment, culture‑building, and the future of work in an AI‑driven world. Ideal for listeners navigating career transitions, leading teams, or building human‑centered workplaces.

What happens when your business is growing, the opportunity is huge, but your values are no longer aligned with the people beside you? For Antoine de Brabant, co‑founder of Wordans and later Jobbook, the turning point came when success and identity no longer matched. Walking away wasn’t failure — it was the beginning of rebuilding a career rooted in clarity, integrity, and long‑term purpose.

Antoine shares how early entrepreneurial wins, partner dynamics, burnout, and a surprising health scare forced him to rethink what he wanted from work and life. Today, he’s building a recruitment agency grounded in values, while exploring a tech project that brings him back to the creativity and speed he loves. His story is a candid look at choosing the right partners, navigating stress, and reinventing yourself without losing your entrepreneurial fire.

He opens up about:

• Co‑founding Wordans and early lessons in product‑market fit

• Why misaligned values pushed him to walk away

• Building Jobbook with family and choosing the right partners

• Burnout, stress, and developing an allergy to marijuana

• Why 2026 should be a year of learning, not rushing

• How AI and technology are reshaping the job market

• Rebuilding a business grounded in clarity and long‑term purpose

Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Antoine de Brabant

04:11 Co‑Founding Wordans and Early Entrepreneurship

10:02 Pivoting Toward Strengths in the Business

18:13 Leaving Wordans Over Misaligned Values

24:57 Starting Jobbook with Family and Partners

30:10 Lessons on Choosing Business Partners

36:32 Mentorship, Advisors, and Learning from Experience

41:44 Burnout, Stress, and Developing a Marijuana Allergy

44:58 Balancing Speed and Strategy in Entrepreneurship

48:43 Why 2026 Should Be a Year of Learning

52:38 Embracing Technology and AI in the Job Market

56:00 Moving On from Jobbook and Starting a Recruitment Agency

59:25 Building a Values‑Based Foundation

01:03:57 Keeping the Passion for Entrepreneurship

01:06:31 Advice: Try, Fail, Believe, Repeat

01:09:07 Gratitude and Closing

01:10:31 The LinkedIn Rule: 3s, 33s, 333s

Discovery Optimization

This episode explores entrepreneurship, values‑driven decision‑making, misaligned success, partner dynamics, burnout, and rebuilding a career with clarity and purpose. Ideal for listeners interested in startup lessons, career reinvention, and the realities of choosing values over opportunity.

What if the best career move you can make is choosing curiosity over the script everyone expects you to follow? For Tarun Kohli, stepping away from traditional and trendy paths opened doors he never could have predicted — IBM, consulting, ESG strategy, and a career built on learning, contribution, and long‑term purpose.

Tarun shares how uncertainty, exploration, and self‑awareness shaped his early career. From support roles at IBM to radical innovation consulting to investing in an ESG program long before it paid off, his journey shows why non‑linear careers often lead to the most meaningful growth.

He opens up about:

• Navigating away from traditional and trendy Indian career expectations

• Why curiosity — not titles — shaped his early years at IBM

• How adding more value than expected leads to promotion

• Leaving IBM to pursue innovation consulting

• Why setbacks often reveal their meaning years later

• The importance of mentorship and self‑awareness

• Investing in an ESG program long before it paid off

• Remembering that we’re living our lives while building our careers

• Why your career doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s

Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Tarun Kohli and His Background

04:41 Navigating Away from Traditional and Trendy Career Paths

09:04 Following Curiosity Early in Your Career

11:33 Starting at IBM Support and Learning Through Opportunity

16:57 Driven by Curiosity and Problem‑Solving, Not Ladder‑Climbing

22:34 How to Get Promoted: Add More Value Than Expected

26:21 Leaving IBM for Radical Innovation Consulting

30:47 Setbacks Often Reveal Their Meaning Later

37:34 Mark Reflects on Wisdom He Wasn’t Ready to Receive

41:24 Hiring Reflections: When a Resume Looks Unstable

43:03 Tarun’s Experience Hiring Someone with a Non‑Linear Path

45:22 Investing in an Expensive ESG Course Without Knowing the Payoff

47:52 That Investment Paid Off Three Years Later

51:21 Don’t Forget We’re Living Our Lives While Building Careers

55:00 Tarun’s Advice: Embrace How Your Career Is Different

58:05 Careers Will Work Themselves Out Over Time

59:16 Closing Remarks

Discovery Optimization

This episode explores curiosity‑driven careers, non‑linear growth, early‑career exploration, IBM pathways, innovation consulting, ESG strategy, and the value of learning over ladder‑climbing. Ideal for listeners navigating uncertainty, career detours, or the pressure to follow traditional scripts.

What does career clarity really look like? For Grace Anniskett, it meant learning to advocate for herself, understanding her working style, navigating job‑change guilt, and redefining what “enough” means — all while building a meaningful career in project management.

Grace, a project manager and founder of Anniskett Consulting Group, shares a grounded and honest leadership story shaped by non‑linear paths, strong mentors, and the emotional intelligence she developed along the way. Her journey is a powerful example for early and mid‑career professionals who want to grow with intention and build a career that fits who they are.

She opens up about:

• Advocating for your value when great work isn’t enough

• Letting go of guilt around job hopping

• Understanding and communicating your working style

• Rethinking productivity in 2026

• Starting — and pausing — her consulting business

• Redefining what “enough” means in work and life

Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction and How Mark Knows Grace

02:12 Grace’s Background and Path into Project Management

05:34 A Non‑Linear Journey from High School to College

08:56 Advocating for Yourself When Great Work Isn’t Enough

13:25 Why Managers Don’t Give Raises Unless They Must

16:01 Mentorship and Paying It Forward

20:06 Diversifying Learning Early in Your Career

23:09 Guilt and Shame Around Job Hopping

27:53 Learning and Accepting Her Working Style

30:23 Rethinking Productivity in 2026

31:48 Calibrating Productivity with Managers and Customers

34:44 Clarifying Without Sounding Like You Didn’t Listen

36:25 Adapting Communication to Different Audiences

38:18 Asking Questions to Understand People Better

39:58 Emotional Intelligence — Innate or Learned

41:58 Knowing When to Share Privileged Information

46:23 You Don’t Need to Act on Every Piece of Information

50:01 Starting Anniskett Consulting Group

53:52 Transitioning Back to Being an Employee

57:04 Why She Put Her Business on Hold

59:27 Defining What Is Enough

01:05:06 How to Reach Grace

01:05:49 Everyone Learns in Their Own Time

01:06:58 Asking for Your Help

Discovery Optimization

Career clarity, working style, self advocacy, job hopping guilt, project management careers, emotional intelligence at work, early career development, mid‑career transitions, redefining enough, productivity expectations in 2026, communication skills, mentorship, women in project management, leadership stories, career navigation for young professionals.

What does it take to leave a successful family business and reinvent your life with purpose? Eric Ouimet shares how stepping away from ownership opened the door to a mission rooted in human impact: protecting people through fraud awareness and digital safety.

After years of leadership at Camionnage CP Inc., where he eventually took over his father’s share, Eric knew it was time for a new chapter—even before he knew what it would be. Creating space led him toward a purpose‑driven path: educating seniors and vulnerable groups about fraud prevention. Now the founder of Anticipa, he reflects on gratitude, timing, support systems, and the Loyola “Men for Others” ethos that continues to guide his choices.

He opens up about:

• Leaving a thriving family business he co‑owned

• How COVID‑19 reshaped logistics and accelerated his pivot

• Why he needed space before discovering his next mission

• How fraud awareness became a purpose‑driven path

• Building credibility through nonprofits and community workshops

• The role of support systems in major life transitions

Episode Chapters

00:00 Reconnecting After Years Apart

03:32 From Radio Dreams to the Logistics Business

07:49 Doing Work You’re Good At vs Loving the Work

10:41 Mark’s Career Pivot Moment

13:32 Gratitude, Privilege and Life Breaks

17:32 How COVID Changed the Logistics Industry

19:24 Why Eric Chose to Exit the Family Business

23:16 Discovering His Mission in Fraud Awareness

27:31 Helping Individuals Over Large Institutions

29:20 Building Credibility Through Nonprofits

31:00 Engaging Seniors Through Tech Workshops

32:29 Applying Business Experience to Fraud Prevention

35:21 The Power of Support Systems

37:31 Loyola’s “Men for Others” and Service

41:21 Advice for Young and Midlife Professionals

44:09 Entering Your Prime in Your Fifties

48:32 How Far Eric Wants to Push His Mission

49:26 Final Thoughts on Following What Excites You

Discovery Optimization

Career reinvention, midlife transitions, leaving a family business, discovering purpose after ownership, fraud awareness, digital safety, senior education, community workshops, logistics industry insights, COVID‑19 business impact, personal transformation, second‑act careers, purpose‑driven work, Canadian leadership stories.

What defines a career built on values? For Michael Wodzicki, it’s navigating privilege, politics, and transformation while staying true to the motto he and Mark Bundang shared at Loyola High School: “Men for Others.” More than 30 years after graduating together, Mark and Mike reconnect to explore how formative values shape leadership across non‑profits, government, and corporate consulting.

Michael Wodzicki, executive leader and consultant, shares defining experiences that shaped his journey: from waiting tables to politics, from Belgrade to Montreal, and from the corporate ladder to founding his own business. His story reveals how privilege, resilience, and the “how” and “who” of career choices can create a more complete leader.

He opens up about:

• How formative values like “Men for Others” guided his path

• Why privilege and career detours matter in shaping leadership identity

• Lessons from international cooperation and corporate transformation

• The importance of connecting the “how” and the “who” in building a meaningful career

Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Reconnection

03:18 Living Loyola’s Motto: Men for Others

05:34 Post‑Secondary Studies and Uncertainty

09:30 From Waiting Tables to Politics

17:28 What a Chief of Staff Saw in Young Mike

20:41 Lessons from Working in Politics

23:13 International Cooperation in Belgrade

25:15 Returning Home to Montreal

26:41 How Privilege Shaped Mike’s Career Lens

31:46 Working at the International Center for Human Rights and Democratic Development

35:47 2010: Ottawa or Abroad Again

38:18 Mike’s Version of the Corporate Ladder

41:30 Navigating a Career Pivot During the Pandemic

47:25 Connecting the “How” and the “Who” — Starting His Own Business

50:27 “Be Good to Yourself” Resonates with Mark

53:47 Gratitude for Being on the Podcast

54:58 Remembering Dr. Khoury’s Speech Class at Loyola

59:30 Closing Reflections

01:01:49 The Importance of “How” in Life and Career

01:07:00 Asking for Your Help

Discovery Optimization

This episode explores privilege, leadership values, political experience, international cooperation, and the deeper “how” and “who” behind meaningful career choices. Ideal for listeners interested in leadership identity, public service, consulting, and values‑driven career paths.