Here, you will see an old headshot from my undergraduate years. I was on the pathway to complete my CPA designation after graduating with my BBA and I had planned to ride out the partnership train for the next 10-15 years. At the same time, I had recently discovered a passion for working with the intangible parts of the business world. How we interact with others, how we grow, understanding what motivates someone to work long hours, what develops passion. All of these things fascinated me, but I had convinced myself that the safest and most logical pathway forward was through accounting.

Two and a half years into the Big 4 life, I listened to my strengths and passions. That meant providing support in the world of the mind, not the Canadian Income Tax Act. I pivoted my career to pursue a master’s degree in counselling and became the support I wish I had in my associate years.

The pathway to becoming a financial services professional requires you to learn everything from slide deck creation, to audit ethics, to complex valuation calculations; however, you rarely learn how to manage yourself in this line of work. I focus on figuring out what works for you, developing tools and strategies to help you navigate the demands of the workplace, and creating a sense of what all this work is for in the long run.