#70 - Isil Uysal Cavelli grew up in Izmir, Turkey, and didn't have a lot of role models. Consequently, if you told her that she couldn't have a specific career she would believe you without giving it much thought. Dancing? No, she was a chubby kid and it was unlikely she would become a professional. Doctor? No, it was too stressful and required too much studying to become a professional. Artist? No, it was not a stable career and art is more of a hobby anyway. Influenced by her family, Isil deci...
Mar 30, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 70
#69 – Priya Sam grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, and was torn between two interests. Should she explore her interest in teaching, something she developed entirely on her own, or should she work towards a path in journalism, a career her parents suggested she had a specific skillset for? In this episode, we talk about how Priya chose journalism, and how she ended up teaching in South Korea for six years immediately following her post-secondary education. We hear about her rise to becoming the co-...
Mar 02, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 69
#68 - After eight weeks off, Career Crossroads is back! I'm rested and somewhat recovered so it's time for an update on what's been going on with me and the podcast. This episode recaps everything that's gone on in the time I was off, including; Rediscovering old passions Some podcast achievements Changes to the podcast The future of the podcast Starting next week we'll be back to new interviews, and in the meantime, please take a second to subscribe to the NEW Career Crossroad's YouTube channel...
Feb 16, 2022•31 min•Ep. 68
#67 - This week is the fourth and final episode of the Best of Career Crossroads series before I return with new episodes. This week we're revisiting my interview with Lindsay Graham from March 2021. _____________________ Composer, voice actor, sound designer, and 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 hi...
Feb 09, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 67
In episode #3 of the Best of Career Crossroads series, we revisit my interview with Ashlee. Being LeBron James’ first intern is a pretty cool way to start your career, and that’s exactly the job Ashlee Ammons was recommended for while attending university. All her involvement in university paid off as others were noticing her talents, work ethic, and how she was able to balance her extracurriculars with her Broadcasting, Mass Communications, and Public Relations degree at Baldwin Wallace Univers...
Feb 03, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 66
In episode #2 of the Best of Career Crossroads series, we revisit my interview with Kait. Kait’s journey to her current career took her through a winding road in her late teens and early 20’s. She tried multiple educational paths and finally settled on fashion as her career of choice. But the path to being a Merchandising Manager was bumpy, and she turned to a more stable office administration role where she thrived. With a constant urge to better herself, and with the support of her colleagues ...
Jan 26, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 65
As I take a break from posting new interviews I'll be hightailing some of my favorite episodes from the past year and a half. This is week one of the Best of Career Crossroads series of episodes. Today, we're featuring Robbie. Robbie Berardi's story of becoming a skilled blacksmith starts when he graduated high school with plans to work at his local gas station. With a number of twists and turns along the way, he was able to train under master blacksmiths in Germany and the United Kingdom. A num...
Jan 19, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 64
#63 - We’ve had twelve new interviews since Career Crossroads one year anniversary so it’s time for another update episode. Let’s talk about both the good and the bad of the last three months of running Career Crossroads, and what changes are coming in the short term. ___________________ 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...
Dec 22, 2021•27 min•Ep. 63
#62 – Dakota LaMarre has never thought of his career as a way to make money. Yes, making money is necessary and yes, it’s a by-product of the jobs he has had over the years, but he needed more out of a career. He needed to find a career that would allow him to live the values his parents instilled in him when he was young: achieving his potential, doing something great, and helping people. While he tried to figure out what career path would provide that fulfillment, he spent his free time learni...
Dec 15, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 62
#61 - With influences like Stephen King and Lemony Snicket, Robert Kingett, who was born blind and with cerebral palsy, realized at a young age that writing was a fantastic way to express himself. Initially setting out to start his writing career as a journalist, Robert built up a portfolio by writing about anything and everything from human interest stories to sports coverage. While he had a solid plan for how to get noticed by the big local Chicago newspapers, it didn't take long for Robert to...
Dec 08, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 61
#60 – Greg Noack was not happy with his life in his early 20’s. He had moved to British Columbia with plans to start anew after being unhappy with the options his business diploma afforded him in Ontario. He was not in B.C for long before his life was profoundly impacted on a cold morning in November of 1996. As he was walking home from work in the early hours of the morning, Greg was assaulted from behind in a random act of violence. Greg fell into a coma and for fifteen days he teetered on the...
Dec 01, 2021•59 min•Ep. 60
#59 – Many people know Sydney as the ‘TikTok travel sales girl’ where she’s gained a significant following (160k+) by telling stories about the crazy phone calls she received while helping people book their dream vacations. Does Sydney’s TikTok fame figure into the future of her career? No, Sydney is a realist and sees social media for what it is: a way for people to share funny stories, trends, and ultimately take a break from the pressures of their lives. Given that, what does Sydney want to d...
Nov 24, 2021•58 min•Ep. 59
#58 – Ken Coleman is known as America’s Career Coach, and for good reason. As the host of The Ken Coleman show, a nationally broadcast radio show on SiriusXM radio, he spends an hour each day talking to people about their career struggles and how to overcome them. The reason Ken is so effective at helping people navigate their career crossroads is that he’s been there himself. After years working in politics, Ken realized that was not the future he wanted for himself so he had some soul searchin...
Nov 17, 2021•56 min•Ep. 58
#57 – From his beginnings in South Africa, to his education in the United States and Ireland, on to his careers in South Korea and Taiwan, Crain Padayachee has experienced more change in his 39 years than most of us will experience in a lifetime. So how does a man who purports to not like change end up living in five different countries? A combination of education opportunities, visa applications, and relationships have all played a part in his world travels and with each plane ride came the nee...
Nov 10, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 57
#56 – Lena Xiang is the founder of Open Classroom Experience, a virtual global innovation program for Gen Z leaders that helps them have a valuable virtual intercultural experience that prepares them to thrive in an everchanging world. This venture is relatively new and is the culmination of Lena working to determine how she could create a positive social impact on the world around her. The journey that led Lena to Open Classroom Experience has taken her from Toronto to Shanghai, New York, San F...
Nov 03, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 56
#55 – Politics runs in Brooke Crewson’s blood. From the age of five, she was helping her dad go door-to-door in his political campaigns, and at 15 she made the conscious decision to start volunteering to support campaigns she believed in. Despite that, she wasn’t 100% convinced of her future and pursued the parallel path of history and politics while studying at Wilfrid Laurier University. When she received job offers in both fields after graduating, Brooke had a tough decision to make. Should s...
Oct 27, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 55
#54 – Growing up in Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and the United States, Keith Honda had a world of options when he finished university. With his deep voice and talent for singing, Keith chose to come to Wilfrid Laurier University for their renowned music program where, as my roommate, he proceeded to wake me up every morning when he sang in the shower. Despite all the fun we had, the transition to university was not so smooth and after his first year, Keith headed back to Michigan where his par...
Oct 20, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 54
#53 – Growing up in Mozambique, Jabez Ivan Joshiraj was always interested in building things when he was younger. Both cars and airplanes were fascinating and he decided that one day, he wanted to be the person behind their design. As a means to that end, when he graduated high school he headed to India, where he was born, to study mechanical engineering. As he progressed through university, he worked on an engineering project that required him to source supplies. With this, he discovered the wo...
Oct 13, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 53
#52 – The first thing Lauren Vandervecht ever thought she wanted to do for a career was be an interior designer. At the time it was the only job she knew of where she could be creative and while that career never came to pass, the thought process gives us a good indication of the direction she would head in. With stops in retail, music, and e-commerce both in Canada and the United States, Lauren’s story is full of twists and turns. She left opportunities that didn’t feel right and went after new...
Oct 06, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 52
#51 – Cayla Schafer has had to pivot her career more than once due to her health. Misdiagnosed celiac disease wreaked havoc on her life while she made her way through university and her illness ultimately forced her to leave her thoughts of pursuing a career in acting behind. As she began to recover, she picked up a job serving at a restaurant in Toronto and was immediately hooked. Serving ticked all the right boxes: she could talk to people, problem solve, and each day was different. She began ...
Sep 29, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 51
#50 – This week marks one year since the launch of Career Crossroads, and it’s time to celebrate and reflect! In 23 minutes, I pack in all of the following: How I've improved as a podcaster over the last year I talk about whether I've achieved the goals laid out in my first episode a year ago I share some stats about who is listening to Career Crossroads I thank the people who have helped me get this far I discuss the future of Career Crossroads I really can't express how happy I am with how thi...
Sep 08, 2021•24 min•Ep. 50
#49 – As a child, Nicholas loved to tell stories and would make home movies and short films with his siblings and neighborhood kids. He even took some acting classes and was in a local commercial in London, Ontario. However, when he reached high school, he excelled in business classes and decided to pursue a business degree at Wilfrid Laurier University without really knowing what he wanted his future career to be. At Laurier, he decided to specialize in marketing but it was his volunteer experi...
Sep 01, 2021•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 49
#48 – Growing up in the west end of Toronto, Ben Spurr’s favourite thing to do was get together for jam sessions with his friends. What started as a way for them to hang out became something more when they realized they had the talent to make something of themselves. That’s how Ben’s band, The Coast, got their start. Despite the possibilities of making music for a living, Ben also had an interest in furthering his education. He enrolled at the University of Toronto to study History, English, and...
Aug 25, 2021•57 min•Ep. 48
#47 - Mathieu Arsenault's story is one of many pivots. His early ideas of having a career in acting led to a university drama program, but he quickly realized that acting was not what he wanted for his future. While there, a faculty member led him towards an exchange program in Russia and that trip stoked the flames of his burgeoning interest in international development. After a number of years working to help villages in Tajikistan with their food security, Mathieu returned home to Prince Edwa...
Aug 18, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 47
#46 – Being LeBron James’ first intern is a pretty cool way to start your career, and that’s exactly the job Ashlee Ammons was recommended for while attending university. All her involvement in university paid off as others were noticing her talents, work ethic, and how she was able to balance her extracurriculars with her Broadcasting, Mass Communications, and Public Relations degree at Baldwin Wallace University just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. In her role as LeBron’s intern at LRMR Ventures i...
Aug 11, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 46
#45 – Welcome back to another update episode of Career Crossroads! Taking a break from interviewing guests, this episode Jonathan is solo and provides updates on a few topics, including: Show Format Changes His Current Job Podcast Growth Emails from Listeners Clocking in under 25 minutes, you can listen to this episode in about the same amount of time as it takes to watch a rerun of Friends. You know what happens to Ross and Rachel. They were on a break. We can move on with our lives. Put the re...
Aug 04, 2021•23 min•Ep. 45
#44 - When Mic Tee was growing up in the suburbs of Toronto, he was surrounded by music. Hip-hop, house, and gospel were commonly heard but it was the calm relaxing feeling he got when his father played the classical guitar at home that really drove Mic’s passion. While he explored this passion, Mic also wanted to be practical so headed to Wilfrid Laurier University to get a degree in business knowing that an in-demand degree would help him get a job long-term. At university, Mic explored all ar...
Jul 28, 2021•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 44
#43 – We all knew a Laura Easson when we were younger. That high achieving type-A personality who was always helping others who struggled in class. The one who was CLEARLY going to be a teacher when they were older. That was Laura, and combined with her musical upbringing she had a great specialty for when she started her teaching career. With a solid plan, Laura headed off to the University of Waterloo for an undergraduate degree in music, then off to Western University to complete teacher’s co...
Jul 21, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 43
#42 – Growing up, Katie was practically a fish. As a synchronized swimmer, she was always in the water and as a teenager worked as a lifeguard and aquatics instructor. Given that, it only seemed natural that she would make a career out of being close to a pool. That is exactly why she has come back to synchro and aquatics multiple times since she joined the working world. After high school, she attended Wilfrid Laurier University to get her Bachelor of Arts in History, and upon graduating starte...
Jul 14, 2021•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 42
#41 – From a young age, Sheldon Pereira was always good at fixing things. It started when his dad brought home his first ever computer, and Sheldon had to learn to fix it when he broke it. As he matured through high school, his interest turned more to fixing people than computers, and he had visions of attending medical school to become a doctor. The first step in that journey was attending Wilfrid Laurier University, and while Sheldon’s overall experience was fantastic, academically things did ...
Jun 23, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 41
