Thank you so much Mona for sharing your career and life story.

During our conversation we learned of Mona’s journey to Ottawa and the challenges of being a child of new immigrants who were doing their best to navigate a new life in an entirely new country.

She spoke of the teachers who supported her and the one who questioned her ability to succeed.

Mona shared with us how transitioned from high school to playing house, and how she eventually became a single parent of three kids.

She spoke of her academic training which took some time and how she created her life as a director of the Y Employment Services.

She shared the difficulty and realities of having numerous side hustles and the ultimate exhaustion her body felt.

She told us about the sacrifices she made along the way – like selling her home which actually offered her the freedom to pursue her dream of helping people reach their entrepreneurial and life goals.

Her motivational quote is by Rumi – What you seek is seeking you.” It has inspired Mona to go after her dream and create the Chnge Mker Innovation Hub - the ultimate resource hub for all Black entrepreneurs in Ottawa.

I have heard such amazing things about Mona over the years, and getting to have a chat with her on the playground is just the beginning. Thanks so much for being part of it!!

Please remember to follow me on Instagram at puddlejumpcoaching001 – and get ready for next week’s chat on the playground. I think I am the luckiest woman in the world to be surrounded by such an amazing community. Please join me on the playground next week for another fabulous career chat with an awesome mystery guest!

Wishing you a week filled with freedom, authenticity and grace. Until next week, when we will jump into the future together.

Resources we talked about:

Mona Abow on LInkedIn

Chnge Mker Hub | We Support Local Black Entrepreneurs

Employment | The Ottawa YMCA

A big, huge thank you to Tatanisha for such an enriching and inspiring career chat. 

We talked about so much - like we usually do. 

We talked about what it is like being a member of a racialized community, and her values of balance, integrity and compassion. 

She also shared with us two very important questions she asks herself - 

1) What if things went well?

2) What if you succeed, even in the midst of fear? 

I hope you are feeling inspired and excited about my career conversation with Tatanisha, and here are links to the many different things we spoke about:

Tatanisha Riggan on LinkedIn

Charter for Compassion

Happier Kinder Together | Action for Happiness

Algonquin College

Home | University of Ottawa (uottawa.ca)

Home - ONE Hub (onehubottawa.ca)

Online Assessments (truecolorsintl.com)

Tatanisha Riggan, RSSW, B.Sc. (@usawamindfulness) • Instagram photos and videos

Looking forward to next week's mystery guest - and even more inspiration!

Big thanks to my friend, Alexis for spending time on the playground with us. Applied linguist, solves problem using language, teaches Spanish as a foreign language, acting manager at OCISO and a very cool guy.

We learned about his master’s project which focused on helping newcomers to develop communication skills to help them integrate more effectively into the labour market. Learning English allows newcomers to have more meaningful conversations with their coworkers, have effective communication with their managers and customers.

The transition from his master’s project to working at the Community Economic Development department at OCISO, an immigrant serving organization in Ottawa.

Back in the day, Alexis did not know what he wanted to be when he grew up, but he found inspiration in his father. Although his dad was a teacher and a musician, Alexis himself was a bit unfocused with a few competing priorities in his life.

He shared the joy he gets from being a rockstar in the classroom (because he is!) and by being able to help teach his students.  He also learned that you can always change professions in your life. You can always pivot.

We talked about what motivates him, and what he values. He also told us that espouses the idea that life is too short to be excellent at everything, you can try things and don’t have to perfect.

He is a dj, a photographer, a musician, a teacher, a husband, a dad and one very cool guy!

Thanks for sharing your journey and hanging out with us on the

playground Alexis!

Until next week, when we jump into the future together.

Links to resources mentioned in the podcast:

Alexis Domínguez Ochoa | LinkedIn

Carleton University - Ottawa, Canada

Big thanks to Zein Abboud for sharing his story with us today!

We learned of his journey from Lebanon to Ottawa, and how he discovered his purpose, created his plan, and has been able to pivot.

He shared his values, his motivation and his desire to always be learning. He also shared a favourite quote from Carl Jung - "No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell."

Zein is a wonderful person, and the world is a better place because of him. 

Thanks so much my friend!

Links:

Zein Abboud | LinkedIn

Lebanese American University (lau.edu.lb)

Department of Criminology | Faculty of Social Sciences (uottawa.ca)

Victimology - Police & Public Safety Institute (algonquincollege.com)

OCISO

Big thanks to Adam Joiner for sharing his journey with us on the playground today.

We learned about what drives Adam, right now as the CEO of BGC Ottawa and has since he was a young person. He loves what he does, and believes he has his dream job.

Being able to provide a source of support/advice/safety/fun and friendship to young people has been a passion for Adam essentially all his life.

He has taken this drive and passion and created a wonderful environment that both staff and clients want to be part of.

He is intentional, authentic, emotionally intelligent, reflective, and inspiring.

He believes that we stand on the shoulders of the people before us, and the need to elevate others. His advice in finding your purpose and your passion is “find something that makes you feel good but also makes others feel great.”

Adam, mission accomplished!

Thank you so much for this honest and insightful career chat. :)

Links to Resources:

BGC Ottawa

Algonquin

College Social Service Worker program

CERC (formerly the

Youth Employment Resource Centre)

Homework Club at the BGC

BGC Canada

Forty Under 40 (check out 27:10 when they announce Adam – it’s so cool!)

Thanks to Mohd Khalid Naseemi for spending his time on the playground with us today!

In today's career chat, we learned about the many pivots he has had to make throughout his educational life in Afghanistan, and once he immigrated to Canada with his family.

I am struck by his intelligence, transferrable skills, determination, focus, resilience, positivity and motivation.

Working with Mohd Khalid was always a treat, and whenever we got to connect, he made me feel so respected and appreciated.

I am so glad he and his family are now able to call Canada their new home. We are a better country because of this!

Links to things we talked about:

Afghanistan

Kankor

Becoming a Canadian citizen

World Education Services

Carleton University International Affairs

Persian language

Pashto language

Settlement at OCISO

Rumi

Garry Kessler is a great friend of mine, and I have always found his career journey to be very interesting.

After hearing him talk about it, I realize that he has been so strategic over the years, so resilient, dynamic and has always kept moving forward.

If you too are interested in pursuing a career in the high tech field - you are going to love this career chat!

Thanks for joining Garry and me on the playground!

Links:

CNIB

Canadian Blood Services

Nortel

McGill University

Carleton University

The podcast for the people who didn't know what they wanted to be when they grew up. 

What happens when you found your purpose, created a plan and then had to pivot? 

Join our guests on the playground as they talk about their career journeys and what's coming next for them. 

Sassy Greeting Cards

Loreto (Ortiz) Cheyne | LinkedIn

Printed greeting cards by Loreto Cheyne (@sassygreetingcards) | Instagram

That which does not kill us, makes us stronger - Friedrich Nietzsche

Advice for young people – just try something, and you don't have to be dedicated to one career.

It was great to hear about Kristina’s career journey, going from retail management to a position in the federal government.  

We heard about her desire to give back and help other people find their way in and through the government.

The benefits of adopting a growth mindset and always being open to a challenge. :)

Thank you so much for sharing your career journey, Kristina!

Thanks to Zahra Karimi for hanging out with us on the playground today! She is a private kind of person who completely jumped out of her comfort zone to support me.

Learn about her journey from Iran to Ottawa (with a couple of stops in between), and her career development journey to employment counsellor and job search workshop facilitator. 

Hear about the challenges and realities of being a newcomer to Canada when literally everything is foreign to you.

Having employment counsellors like Zahra truly make a difference to the people who choose to make Ottawa their home.

They, and all her colleagues, are very grateful for her!

Resources discussed on the playground today:

Zahra Karimi | LinkedIn

OCISO

McGill University

Home | University of Ottawa (uottawa.ca)

Home Page: Y Employment Services | YMCA of the National Capital Region (ymcaottawa-eac.ca)

John C. Maxwell quote: When values, thoughts, feelings, and ... (libquotes.com)