Thank you so much Asma for sharing your career journey and pivot with us today. I really appreciate hearing about the realities of growing up female in Saudi Arabia, and the academic and employment challenges that women face.

A self-declared nerd, Asma told us about her focus on getting good grades and her desire to obtain her Ph.D., switching her major to engineering, even with all of the people around her telling her that engineering is not for women, and questioning what she was going to do afterwards.

She shared that even though she graduated with top marks, it was challenging (to say the least) to be looking for an engineering role as a woman. She started her career with Aramco and was there for almost 20 years.

We learned about the importance of having a sponsor, someone who can be a mentor and vouch for you, and we learned that Asma was the first female engineer to work in a refinery in Saudi Arabia. Thankfully, she opened the doors for many women who followed in her footsteps.

She spoke of creating Asma’s Table, a cooking experience all about creating community. After a successful 6 years in Saudi Arabia, she has brought Asma’s Table to Ottawa. As someone who always enjoyed cooking and experimenting with food, Asma pivoted in the most delicious way!

Big thanks to Asma for inspiring us with her journey and her amazing cooking experiences with Asma’s Table.

Links:

asma's table (asmastable.com) – please check out her website for more information about her upcoming October 28th cooking experience highlighting the humble pumpkin.

Asma Tahlawi, PhD. | LinkedIn

Imperial College London

Visit Saudi - Visit

Saudi Official Website

Thank you so Daphné for joining me on the playground today and bringing your beautiful, open and authentic self.

We tackled the big topics – systemic racism, DEI programs, fear, parenting. I shared a truly life-changing conversation that not only changed my life but informed my present and my future. We talked about the importance of seeing colour – and the reality of what “not seeing colour” means and how that mindset needs to change. We do need to see and acknowledge colour – and we need more of these kinds of conversations.

While we both realize we can’t revolutionize the world we can both do what we can to dismantle the system so that it can be re-created in a way that is truly equal and equitable for everyone.

She spoke about burnout and how her mid-life crisis was critical in her need to slow down, take a step back and realize she did not have to go along with what society projects for her.

Apart from being very proud of her daughters and giving them the freedom and autonomy to find their way in the world, she is proud of herself for finding her own voice and listening to her intuition.

She describes herself as a human being with a soul operating in a body with African mixed with European heritage. We spoke of what it is like to be feminine within a masculine system.  

Daphné is discovering she is an artist, loves human history and learning about peoples’ stories.  She spoke of Africa’s rich history that predates colonization and uses history as a story line in her workshops to facilitate a better understanding of the history behind the concept of diversity, equity and inclusion.

What’s next for Daphné? Psychology, helping find themselves, teaching, the French language. The bottom line is that she wants to be able to create a better life for the generations following her.

One for thing is for sure – if we had known each other as when we were girls, Daphné and I would have been friends, and it is awesome that we get to hang out on the playground together now. Both of us have always sought salvation and comfort in books and appreciate the human condition and journeys.

I am so grateful for this time we spent together, and our chat made me think of a favourite quote by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings having a human experience.”

My big thanks for Daphné for sharing her thoughts and feelings with me – with us – and I am looking forward to welcoming my next fabulous mystery guest on next week’s episode.

Meanwhile, I invite you to connect with me on Instagram at puddlejumpcoaching001, and if you would like to read my book “Sex, Self-Esteem & Sheer Stupidity  Surviving Your 20s and Beyond” to learn more about what Daphné was talking about, you can find it on Amazon.

Wishing you a week of security, authenticity and following your intuition. See you on the playground next time, when we will jump into the future together.

Links:

Marie-Daphné on LinkedIn

Afro-Queen Consulting

Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion

The Guide on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; An Essential Tool

Sex, Self-Esteem & Sheer Stupidity   Surviving Your 20s and Beyond

Thank you so much Ben for hanging out with us on the playground today! I promised you an interesting chat and I believe it was.

Our career chat included a lot. Ben spoke about belonging, culture and identity, and what it was like being typecast as the Asian kid in his cohort. We talked about the smart vs sexy Asian stereotypes, and what it meant to suppress your feels.

He spoke candidly about his mental health crisis, and his need to leave home as a result of disagreements with his father. And he also spoke about how his future career was impacted by his financial challenges, and how he closed doors to his future by turning down archeological opportunities.

We talked about what it was like to be living someone else’s dream, not his own, and what it was like to be motivated by fear. I shared one of my favourite quotes from the character Robert California in the American version of The Office – “Fear plays an interesting role in our lives. How dare we let it motivate us? How dare we let it into our decision-making, into our livelihoods, into our relationships?”

Speaking of fear, Ben also spoke about the role of anger in his life, and how it masked the presence and the motivation of fear.

We also touched on the reward that came for being his authentic self during his job interview with the government, and the ensuing leave without pay he took for his self-imposed exile.

We discussed the imposter syndrome, and his motivating words “it was in the unlearning that I learned the most”.

Thank you Ben for giving me a lot to think about, consider and reflect on. I appreciate your honesty and openness in sharing your career and life journey, and wish you the very best as they continue to unfold.

Speaking of the very best, I am so excited to invite you to hang out on the playground with me again next week. My mystery guest is a force to be reckoned with, and I can’t wait to introduce you to her.

Please remember to tell a friend (or more) about the podcast. And if you would like to share your story on the playground, please do send me an email at [email protected].

Until next time, I wish you a beautiful week of learning and unlearning. See you again on the playground next week, when we will jump into the future together.

Ben Park on LinkedIn

David and Mary Thompson Collegiate Institute

Scarborough

unassuming grace: Lessons from the Little Things in Life by Richard D. Patterson

Big thanks to my guest Swami for sharing his story with us.

One thing that really resonated with me was the importance of travel, growth and getting out his comfort zone.

By going to university in Australia he was able to meet people from all over the world, learn about different cultures and discover different ways of doing things.

His Australian experience prepared him for making the leap to Canada, and knowing that although it would be hard, it would not be impossible.

I love to hear that while he was developing his career (isn’t that much better than “looking for work” or “job searching”) he was getting out and meeting people. I would have never thought of recommending Invest Ottawa to people who are not entrepreneurs, but what a fantastic idea!

His positive and helpful nature is infectious, and he brings a lot of value to the CRA and the Canadian government. I loved his Hindi phrase – let’s see whatever happens. Just go for it, and let’s see what happens!

I am excited for his future and will be watching as his career continues to develop right here in his new home of Ottawa, Canada.

My thanks to Swami!

I am also excited to invite you to meet me on the playground again next week for another insightful career conversation with another awesome mystery guest.

Please remember to connect with me on Instagram at puddlejumpcoaching001, and like Swami says, let’s see whatever happens.

Have an adventurous week, and see you on the playground, when we will jump into the future together.

Show Links:

Swaminathan Krishnamurthi | LinkedIn

Murdoch University

India - The World Factbook (cia.gov)

Lead Economic Development Agency | Invest Ottawa

Thank you so much Maryna for spending your time with me – with us – on the playground today. If you are like me, this career chat with Maryna has inspired you to be become the best person you can be.

I really appreciate her sharing her career journey with us – and seeing how her leadership skills were identified and appreciated at an early age by her teachers, and when she did not get into the Ukrainian parliamentary internship program, she decided to apply to the international relations program at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine.

I was going to say she found herself working at the UN Refugee Agency, (UNHCR) but that’s not the case. She did not FIND herself doing that. She intentionally and purposefully created this opportunity for herself. She worked hard throughout her life, focusing on the positive things that she experienced, and felt (feels) gratitude for everything she has. She does not take anything for granted.

I love that it was her dream, her purpose, her everything to get back to Canada, and she never gave up her dream. She also did not waste her waiting time – she took that time to gain valuable experience to help build her future career in Canada.

She found a quote from Arthur Ashe that she feels best sums up her attitude – start where you are, use what you have and do what you can.

She is doing just that in her in role as Program Officer with the Canadian government. She is making a conscious contribution to the Canadian family by using her skills, experiences, and strengths to make a difference every day.

You can feel her positive attitude, the joy and gratitude she exudes throughout the conversation and you can see why I wanted to have a career chat with her on the playground – because she’s amazing!

Big thanks to Maryna!

And remember, if we are not already connected, I invite you to become a Puddle Jumper and follow me on Instagram at puddlejumpcoaching001!

Please join me on the playground again for next week’s inspiring mystery guest, and until then, I wish you a beautiful week. Remember to start where you are, use what you have and do what you can. Until next time, when we will jump into the future together!

Links

Maryna Pavel on LinkedIn

Slava Ukraini!

Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine

Arthur Ashe (the author of the quote)

Thank you so much Fabrizio for joining me on the playground today!

Amidst much laughter, there was a lot of sharing stories of career decisions, the role of luck and privilege in constructing our careers, and while no real motivational quotes were shared, Fabrizio did explain his concept of values.

I love how Fab shared not just the subjects he studied, but his reasons why he chose them.

He reflected on perhaps the “wrong” reasons he chose that particular path and how a lucky twist of fate helped him create a career he loves and finds meaningful.

His pivots included graduating with a master’s degree into a world in recession, which makes me think of the students who graduated during the pandemic years – also a very challenging time for many people.

He took that opportunity to expand on his thesis and graduated with his Ph.D. A recurring theme throughout his career – why not?

Not, as we discussed, because of a specific passion.

But he had been active throughout his university years, travelling across Europe with the organization he was part of.

He met a lot of people throughout his career, moved VERY far out of his comfort zone, and as his career developed, was able to understand the meaning of everything he had studied because it mattered to people (in developing countries especially) in a very profound way.

Although (and not surprisingly) he did not have a motivational quote or words that he lives by, he did share his trifecta of overarching values – do good for others, do good for yourself, and use your brain.

And what is he most proud of in his career? Connections.

I thank Fab for connecting with us today and for always being open to connecting with the people I introduce him too.

Please do join me for next week’s mystery guest and once again, get ready to be inspired! Until then, please follow me on Instagram at puddlejumpcoaching001 so that WE can connect!

Wishing you a wonderful week – and remember to do good for others, do good for yourself and use your brain. Until next week, when we will jump into the future together.

Links to what we talked about today:

Fabrizio Valenti on LinkedIn

KSAR Consulting Group

Sierre Leone

Rome

Bangladesh

Jakarta

United Nations Development Program

International Labour Organization

Save the Children

International Development Research Centre

Delhi

Thank you to Ki Jung for sharing his story, his journey, and his inspiration with us on the playground today!

Like many newcomers, Ki arrived in Canada with a strong academic background, but still found it nearly impossible to find employment. Even with Canadian academic experience, and even after sending out over 300 resumes, he took the only job opportunity he was offered – in a province about 1,500 km away from where he was living.

When he returned to Ontario, with a short stint of Canadian experience on his resume, he applied to 20 jobs and heard from 10.

He spoke about the importance of loving yourself, and being patient, brave and positive. He also spoke of the need to be open to change and maintain a sense of openness.

He has a family and a full-time job with the CRA, and on top of this, Ki is a lovely man. Thanks so much!

Please remember to share the podcast with a buddy who may be looking for some inspiration, and please join me and my next mystery guest on the next episode of the Playground Project.

Links we spoke about today:

South Korea

Ki Jung on LinkedIn

Indiana University Bloomington

Canadian Revenue Agency

Giant Tiger

Thank you so much Ayo for coming on to the playground with us today and sharing your thoughts, motivations, inspirations, and experiences.

Here’s what I am taking away from our career chat:

1)  Die empty – we need to truly live so that when

we die, we have nothing left. Everything we have, everything we are, has been shared with the world, to make the world a better place for us have been here.

2)   Life is best understood looking at it backwards, but we must live it looking forward. We may not understand the lessons we are being taught at the time, but over time things will make sense.

3)   Life – and our careers – needs focus, consistency, commitment, structure and a sense of maturity.

4)   Being a leader means knowing when you need to be structured and when you need to pivot to stay alive or ahead of the market.

5)  Service. Leadership. Education.

I really appreciate Ayo spending his time with us today, and I invite you to spend some time with me on the playground next week as I welcome another fabulous mystery guest. You know by now that I have incredible guests because I have awesome people in my world. I want to listen and share their stories so to inspire, educate, motivate and maybe even change some lives.

Thank you for spending your time with me on the playground, and I invite you to follow me on Instagram at puddlejumpcoaching001 if you have not followed me yet! And please connect!

Until our next visit on the playground, I wish you a week of beauty, love, and positivity. See you next week when we will jump into the future together.

Here’s what we talked about on the podcast today:

Lagos,Nigeria

Rider University

Ayo Owodunni on LinkedIn

Conestoga College

Councillor Ayo Owodunni

Inclusive Leadership - The Immigrant View- Ayo’s book!!

Thank you Michael for not just sharing your story of pivoting, but also for giving us a master class in leadership.

We learned the importance of compassion in leadership, leading by example, the power of resilience and the need to embrace solutions, not problems.

Michael spoke of his newest gig, Professor of Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs at Sheridan College. Lucky students! He also shared with us his feelings of not having everything figured out yet, to which I say – I hear you.

Michael is one of the most generous people I know. Whenever I ask if I can introduce him to a mentee, a student, a newcomer or a fellow colleague, he is always open to this and very gracious. He is an amazing mentor and I had a fantastic time supporting him and his mentees through the years.

As a tax payer, I am confident that Health Canada is heading in the right direction with Michael Giosefffi as part of the team. I am excited for his future because I know he has so much to contribute, and when it happens, his team will be exceptionally lucky to have him as their manager.

So, thank you Michael, for your honesty, authenticity and being real with us on the playground today.

And you know, I am really looking forward to welcoming my next mystery guest on next week’s episode. We are going to have a lot of fun just hanging out on the playground, so please do join us!

Please remember to follow me on Instagram at puddlejumpcoaching001 and do subscribe or follow the podcast!

I love hanging out with you, and until next time, when we will jump into the future – together!

 Michael Gioseffi, MScHQ | LinkedIn

Sheridan College

Health Canada

Charity Village Career Assessment Tool

Thank you so much Breanna for hanging out with us on the playground today!

She shared her career journey in such a wholehearted and authentic way, and I appreciate her honesty and thoughtful answers.

We learned about her positive attitude to life, her dedication to being present in her life, and what that means to her.

She spoke about the challenges she experienced throughout her career, and how everything led her to where she now – the owner of Talk Tools Training and Psychotherapy here in Ottawa, Canada.

She really is an amazing person, and I am so thrilled she was able to spend some time with us.

I am super excited about next week’s mystery guest, and I am looking forward to having a fantastic chat together.

Until then, please have a wholehearted week filled with growth and gratitude. Please do follow me on Instagram at puddlejumpcoaching001 and until next week, when we will jump into the future together!

Links

Talk Tools Training and Psychotherapy

Breanna Pizzuto on LinkedIn

Yorkville University

Community Employment Resource Centre (CERC)

University of Ottawa

How to use a vision board

Canva – how to make a vision board