Thank you so much for joining me on another episode of The Freshstart podcast.
To say this year has been interesting and challenging is an understatement in many ways.
In 2020, Our lives have changed dramatically, almost overnight.
I hope you and your family, friends, and colleagues are healthy and safe and remain that way.
When COVID-19 started, I read about the heroic efforts of hundreds of thousands of people, for that, I’m deeply grateful. And I wanted to do my part but I thought, I’m neither a health care professional nor an essential services provider on the front lines.
But then, On June 6, the news of George Floyd’s death filled national headlines and gained further international attention with protests across the world.
About the same time, I read a disturbing report of a study done by YWCA and the University of Toronto called “A Feminist Economic Recovery Plan for Canada.” The report outlined how COVID-19 has disproportionately affected Immigrants, racialized people, and women.
Like the Starfish story, I might not be able to change the entire world, but at least I can change a small part of it, for someone.
This lead me to rekindle a passion for helping newcomers and birth the Freshstart hub which is a platform to provide resources that would enhance immigrants’ success.
I came up with so many resources but I thought why not start with a podcast, the freshstart podcast, a show where I explore the stories, experiences, and journey of real people in order to provide newcomers with strategies to succeed.
I chat with inspiring newcomers and immigrants on the podcast to share their story and journey that would inspire a lot of newcomers and help them to strive for a better future
I also teamed up with some amazing professionals and career consultant to host a free workshop. A lot of people have lost their jobs. Competition among job seekers is stiffer than ever and experiencing it during a global pandemic is even worse. Finding new work is always hard, but especially so during a pandemic.
I believe that two people with equal talent should have equal access to opportunity. But some people don’t have the right resources or community to help them land the job they want and that is why I thought it would be good to provide support to immigrants and newcomers, students that graduated during the pandemic.
On December 5, we hosted our first FREE career workshop titled “Navigating your career in uncertain times” where we had amazing speakers and career consultants who spoke on solutions to probing career issues that newcomers face.
They also provided FREE thorough resume review to 20 attendees that submitted their resumes before the event.
As we come to the final chapter of 2020, it is easy to look at the negatives, but don’t let our sights lie there. Let us focus on a brighter future.
And that leads me to our plans for 2021
2020 has been a difficult year for so many people, but there are some glints of light in the gloom
We are putting a lot of effort into making the community bigger and better in 2021. We have some amazing plans up our sleeve. And I can’t wait to share those with you in 2021 but can’t really reveal a lot right now.
For example, we are launching a FREE speed mentorship program called NAVIGATE. The speed mentorship would be a one-hour session where participants would submit questions before the session and participants can also ask the mentor questions during the session.
We have a line-up of senior leaders in all sectors of the Canadian economy who came to Canada as immigrants, have faced similar struggles like you, are succeeding in their careers, and are willing to mentor you. They would provide practical steps and actionable insights to help you navigate your journey.
I cannot wait to experience those new things we have planned with you and to hear from you as well. I cannot wait to share more success stories from community members here on the show in 2021, too, because you are truly the hero of the story.
We’re just the guide, but you are the hero, and we want to pull in these hero stories and help inspire others to have their own hero story come about as well. A lot of other senior leaders are coming on the show. A lot of people from the community. It’s going to be amazing. We want to help you foster relationships with those who will share their wins and positive vibes and help you realize that you can do the same. Life is too short for negativity.
Hit that subscribe button if you haven’t already because when we surround ourselves with positive, successful people they consciously (and subconsciously) challenge us to be our best selves.
If you want to make a positive change in your life, remember, the people around you have a critical influence on your energy, growth, and probability of success. We share the same struggles, we share the same values and we’re here to support each other.
I hope that you are safe. I hope that your family is safe. I hope that if you were affected in some way, shape, or form by the pandemic, that things are okay or getting better now, at least.
Thank you so much, and of course happy holidays to all of you. I cannot wait to continue to serve you in the future.
Talk to you again in the new year.
Thanks so much for joining me again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!
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