Career Crossroads

Storytelling Podcasts

Getting to where you want to be in your career is not always as linear as we might think. Not everyone picks one career path and sticks to it for the rest of their lives, and lots of people are confused about what they want out of their career. On Career Crossroads, host Jonathan Collaton explores the stories of everyday people who have made pivots along their career journey. Starting with the question 'what did you want to be when you grew up?", they discuss all the jobs they have had, the people that influenced them, and both the expected and unexpected decisions that led them to their present career. They reflect on how sometimes we have these 'crossroads' moments where we must pick one thing over another, and they dig into the reasons why those decisions were made. The episodes are about the guests and their career stories.

Getting to where you want to be in your career is not always as linear as we might think. Not everyone picks one career path and sticks to it for the rest of their lives, and lots of people are confused about what they want out of their career. On Career Crossroads, host Jonathan Collaton explores the stories of everyday people who have made pivots along their career journey. Starting with the question 'what did you want to be when you grew up?", they discuss all the jobs they have had, the people that influenced them, and both the expected and unexpected decisions that led them to their present career. They reflect on how sometimes we have these 'crossroads' moments where we must pick one thing over another, and they dig into the reasons why those decisions were made. The episodes are about the guests and their career stories.

Location:

United States

Genres:

Storytelling Podcasts

Description:

Language:

English

Episodes

Jenn – The Path to Founding Cheekbone Beauty

4/13/2022

#71 – In 2016, Jenn Harper founded Cheekbone Beauty despite having no previous experience in the cosmetics industry. This was a major career change as up until that point she had worked exclusively in hospitality and in wholesale foods, leveraging her strong relationships with chefs to succeed. So why cosmetics? What changed? Well, in 2015 as Jenn was learning about her Indigenous grandmother’s experience in residential schools she had a dream. In this dream she saw “native little girls...

Duration:00:59:59

Isil – Overcoming Fear and Finding Her Creative Self

3/30/2022

#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...

Duration:01:22:12

Priya – How a Broadcaster Dabbled in Teaching on the Way to a Career in Technology

3/2/2022

#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...

Duration:01:19:54

Rest, Recovery, and Dreaming

2/16/2022

#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; 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 by clicking here, or searching for Career Crossroads on YouTube. ______________________ To...

Duration:00:31:15

Best of Career Crossroads #4 - Lindsay Graham

2/9/2022

#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, 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...

Duration:01:19:33

Best of Career Crossroads #3 - Ashlee

2/2/2022

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...

Duration:01:10:53

Best of Career Crossroads #2 - Kait

1/26/2022

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...

Duration:01:16:52

Best of Career Crossroads #1 - Robbie

1/19/2022

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....

Duration:01:18:11

December 2021 Update - The Burnout is Real

12/22/2021

#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. ______________________ To support Career Crossroads, click here To leave Career Crossroads a review, click here You can find Career Crossroads at careercrossroadspodcast.com or follow us on social media TikTok:...

Duration:00:27:12

Dakota – How Knowing His Values Led Him to Become A Professional Co-Author

12/15/2021

#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...

Duration:01:19:38

Robert – From Journalism to Web Accessibility Advocate

12/8/2021

#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...

Duration:01:06:22

Greg – How a Traumatic Brain Injury Changed His Path

12/1/2021

#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...

Duration:00:58:40

Sydney – TikTok Travel and Tech Sales

11/24/2021

#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...

Duration:00:58:04

Ken – The Path From Paycheck to Purpose

11/17/2021

#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...

Duration:00:56:12

Crian - Career Paths in Five Countries

11/10/2021

#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...

Duration:01:00:23

Lena – Business and Engineering and Technology, Oh My

11/3/2021

#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,...

Duration:01:21:51

Brooke – The Highs and Lows of Politics and Beyond

10/27/2021

#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....

Duration:01:08:06

Keith - Opera Singer to Coffee Cocktail Artisan

10/20/2021

#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...

Duration:01:17:14

Jabez – Mechanical Engineering to Business Consulting

10/13/2021

#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...

Duration:01:00:45

Lauren – From Retail, to Music, to Mobile Flower Shop

10/6/2021

#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...

Duration:01:17:40