Episodes

  • The End of Career Crossroads
    Dec 20 2023

    All good things must come to an end. It's been a wonderful journey over the last 3+ years but today marks the end of Career Crossroads.

    In this final episode of the podcast, I discuss why I'm saying goodbye and thank those who have helped me make it this far.

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    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

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    7 mins
  • Mike Fernandes - Leaving his YouTube Career Behind for a shot at Student Affairs
    Dec 13 2023

    #100 - Like most kids, Mike developed his musical tastes as a teenager. He liked a wide range of bands and one day decided to try and mash up a couple of his favorite songs and publish the mix on YouTube. That simple action had a much bigger impact than Mike ever could have predicted. It was the first step in launching his YouTube channel which at its peak had over 325,000 subscribers and was getting up to 2 million views per month.

    In this interview, we talk through Mike's early career plans that led him to university, the ride of his YouTube channel, and why he left it behind to begin a career in Student Affairs.

    Find Mike's YouTube channel at youtube.com/@MagikMikeOFFICIAL

    ___________________
    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

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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Career Coach Conversations with Betty Xie
    Dec 4 2023

    #99 – As Betty Xie headed toward post-secondary education, she had a plan: study math because that would lead her to a good job. The closer she got to starting classes, the more she realized that while that was practical and she had a talent for it, she wasn’t actually interested in math and the career options it would provide. Instead of looking at studying something similar but more interesting, Betty decided she wanted to explore perhaps the farthest areas of study from math - cinema studies and contemporary Asian studies.

    Upon graduation, she followed parallel paths of film creator and arts administrator and further education until burnout finally hit and she realized she needed to make a choice. Her experience with further education led her to realize that while she could help organizations as an arts administrator, it was when she was helping individuals that she really thrived. That realization led Betty to her current path of career coaching with a specialization in helping creatives.

    Find Betty on LinkedIn, Instagram, or on her website at xiebetty.com

    You can also find her on The Everyday Talent Podcast and take her Creative Career Archetype

    ___________________
    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

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    28 mins
  • Matt Cooksey – How A Breakdown Led Him To The Perfect Career
    Oct 20 2023

    #98 - Matt Cooksey ended up in his first career because he was following a family member's footsteps, and it took him almost a decade to realize he wasn't happy. He was always chasing something - more money or a promotion - that would make him happy, right?

    It wasn't until he unexpectedly broke down that Matt that Matt realized that staying on that career path wasn't going to make him happy no matter how good it seemed like he had it. That breakdown was the beginning of a journey that helped Matt discover who he really was and what he really wanted, and it was during that journey that Matt came to the realization that assisting people to figure out what makes them tick was his true passion.

    Then, in his 30s Matt ventured back to school with a new plan and a new purpose. Was the pivot the right choice? Absolutely. Listen to Matt's interview for the full story.

    Find Matt online at matthewcooksey.com

    ___________________
    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

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    51 mins
  • Stephanie Chan - Leaving Law Behind to Help the Elderly
    Aug 17 2023

    #97 - Getting a law degree and passing the bar is quite the task, so it's not often people go through all that work only to leave their law career behind. That's what makes Stephanie Chan such an anomaly - she did exactly that. Today, I talk to Stephanie about how why she left law behind and what prompted her to found Home to Home Advisory Services and myCareBase.

    To read more about Stephanie’s companies or get in touch with her, use the links below:

    • Home to Home Advisory Services Inc.
    • myCareBase
    • stephanie@mycarebase.com

    ___________________
    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

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    23 mins
  • Mike Gallagher – Taking his Creativity from Film to the World of Marketing
    Jul 31 2023

    #96 - As Mike Gallagher spent his teenage years filming his friends skateboarding around the Metro Vancouver area, someone took notice. A high school teacher recognized Mike’s aptitude for film and developed an independent study course that allowed Mike free reign over the school’s media equipment. It didn’t take long for Mike to become hooked and as he approached graduation he applied to the Art Institute of Vancouver’s Digital Film and Production program. The plan was for Mike to live out his dream of working in Vancouver’s continually expanding film industry.

    The early years of Mike's career as a production assistant were a GRIND. Long hours, inconsistent work schedules, and low pay doing the work no one else wanted to do certainly wasn’t glamorous but Mike looked for opportunities where he could learn from those around him. He was watching and he was learning. Once he had a few years of experience under his belt Mike knew he was ready for something more so when he got a call for his next PA gig he said ‘no, what else have you got?’ The answer to that question was the props department and it was there that Mike got to flex his creative muscles while continuing to learn from expert prop masters – true veterans of the industry.

    Over time, the lifestyle of the film industry began to eat away at Mike’s personal life and he saw a potentially complicated future in the family lives of many of his colleagues. After a particularly difficult night on a set in below-freezing temperatures, he realized he needed a major change and the next day he called his parents to let them he was moving home because he was going back to school. That decision propelled Mike into a new career that has given him the opportunity to work on video game franchises like Electronic Arts’ NHL and UFC titles and allowed him to rub shoulders with athletes like Connor McDavid, P.K Subban, Connor McGregor, and Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson.

    How did Mike do it? Listen to his Career Crossroads interview to find out.

    Find Mike online on LinkedIn or at www.mikegallaghermedia.com

    ___________________
    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

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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Collision Conference 2023 Interviews - Chatting with Tech Founders Who Changed Their Careers
    Jul 17 2023

    #95 – When you go to a tech conference like Collision, you might expect that all the founders attending to showcase their companies have deep roots in the tech industry, My experience at Collision, however, shows me that is not always the case.

    In this episode, you’ll head my conversations with Austin of Seaube Software, Kaleda of Kilo, and Adam of Elo Gaming as we discuss how their careers have taken them on a winding road that unexpectedly led them to Collision.

    ___________________
    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

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    26 mins
  • Kelvin Beachum - NFL Offensive Lineman and Investor
    Jul 10 2023

    #94 - This week’s guest on Career Crossroads is Kelvin Beachum, a professional football player who plays left tackle for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. As an 11-season veteran who has played in over 150 NFL games, you might think that Kelvin lives and breathes football but the truth is that Kelvin is not just a football player. Outside of football, Kelvin is an investor and philanthropist with a specific interest in ending hunger around the world while also spreading information about science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) to people who have never considered careers in those areas.

    As the eighth oldest offensive lineman in the NFL last season, Kelvin knows football isn’t forever and during our conversation, we chat about his rise to the NFL, how he got involved in so many areas outside of football, and how he’ll continue to use his knowledge, platform, and resources to make the world around him better long into the future.

    Find Kelvin online at:

    • kelvinbeachum.com
    • @kelvin.beachum.jr on Instagram
    • Kelvin’s LinkedIn profile

    ___________________
    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

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    20 mins