What does Maureen Palmer do? Having many roles, it was hard to answer that question, until her daughter came up with an apt description – “knowledge translation.” And as a creator of documentaries which take time to make, that knowledge translation has to anticipate what the public wants to talk about months from now. To her, this is key to being successful and a big reason to keep her eyes and ears open.

Cruz Gamboa’s path to being an executive coach started with a love of finance. Through building his experience and moving up the ladder in the financial departments of different companies, it made him realize that a large part of financing is treating it like a “sales job” and that these experiences made him more well-rounded – this gave him valuable insight leading to his current job as an executive coach, teaching others to use their experiences to get a step up in their careers.

How is your city shaped? This is what Anne McMullin has to know, as the leader of the Urban Development Institute. In her job, she is constantly educating and informing others about how British Columbia’s communities are developed, particularly around real estate issues. This is a far cry from where she started out, in the journalism world; but over time, she found that the business world interested her more and more – so she made a career pivot.

Getting help with and getting assessed for mental health can be difficult – Jason Morehouse seeks to change that with HiBoop, a tool that helps professionals improve the quality of their treatments. To get started, he had to get an understanding of technology and how to leverage it with good developers and passionate product builders, and wrap it up with awareness among people who are in charge of the brand.

Brian Scudamore is a serial entrepreneur. He is best known for being the brains behind 1-800-GOT-JUNK, a national trash collection company in Canada. But he sees his role as more than a CEO; he grows the business culture of his companies. To him, business is always fun – as long as he pays attention to work-life balance, which allows him to be more present at work.

Aubrey Kelly knows there are so many things that you can’t control – but you can set the direction that you’re heading. That is the philosophy he has used for his role as CEO of UBC Properties Trust, which handles real estate portfolios of the University of British Columbia. You don’t have to be an expert – you simply have to figure out where you’re headed and have others around you buy into your plan.

Greg Barnsdale is no ordinary author – his topic deals with death, based on his experiences in the funeral and financial planning industries. This has posed a challenge in reaching a target market, which he learned to tackle through writing courses. After that, it was just a matter of learning how to put a book together – literally.

“You can’t be a good political strategist if you don’t understand the community of voters around you,” Kareem Allam claims. That is how he gets his work in an increasingly complex political landscape. This includes both ideas and how to get those ideas out, whether it be via new forms of media or the rise of technology. His clients are all from the private sector who want to gain social and regulatory license, so that the projects go forward the right way.

For Krystle Wittevrongel, life is exciting but the days are long. Her role at the Montreal Economic Institute is to keep an eye on public policy of all types, in order to provide useful advice for stakeholders – an area that rarely takes a break. But she wouldn’t have it any other way.

NJ Ayuk believes he has a “dream job” – he gets to talk with everyone from climate activists to energy industry professionals every day. Based in South Africa, he gets to visit most countries in Africa, and sometimes to Asia, North America, and Europe. He works 10-15 hours per day but to him, this isn’t just a job – it’s a calling.

When you make a bad investment, you probably want someone to hold hands with. That is how Murray Leith describes his job – he is the one to hold your hand during turbulence and help keep you from panicking. This role stems from his family and educational background in finance – he knew he wanted to be in that industry. As time went along, he realized that his goal depended on writing and discovering what he had to say – and how to say it well.

For James Donaldson, there is never a dull moment. It is his job to spot anything that negatively impacts members of the food and beverage industry in British Columbia. In other words, he looks out for their interests. This is not a role that James thought he’d end up in – when he graduated, he didn’t have a plan or clarity on what he wanted to do. Eventually he entered the food industry, which gave him the opportunity to learn more about himself and what he can bring to the table.

Andrew Lawton has to make up his job title sometimes, because he has worn so many hats. He manages a media company called True North, hosts his own show, writes books, and has started a journey in event management. Sitting in one place for too long is not his M.O. To him, he tries to find different things to do and not settle into a routine.

What does Gavin Dew do for a living? He jokes that even his wife doesn’t know. But to him, his work is to get complicated major projects built in difficult situations. Those situations may be politically difficult or controversial, but that does not scare him. To him, anything worth doing is hard – to him, that is “interesting and fun.”

For Christy Smith’s role in indigenous engagement in environmental consulting, fieldwork is what makes her thrive. She loves going out into the community to build relationships and understanding the nuances of each community. This is a far cry from her dreams of being an artist, which were put on hold after she became a mother; she realized that she wanted to produce a work of value for her child’s future. This led her down a path of self-discovery, both personally and professionally.

Mohammad Doostmohammadi’s work days are long – to him, it is not always a bad thing because his work is his passion. “I am doing what I enjoy,” he says. “It’s my life.” He sees himself as an inventor and entrepreneur, finding ways to turn various forms of electronic and mining waste into recycled materials. To him, his passion drives the fun in running his start-up – in fact, passion is vital in order to succeed.

What happens when a bunch of side gigs become a career? For Ernest Lang, he points to himself as the answer. As head of Promerita, he invests and advises on financial matters around corporate assets, wealth planning, real estate, and more. His interest in money was rooted in necessity – coming from a family with one parent and with limited means, he had to figure out how money worked and that has led him to a “survive at all costs” approach to business.

David Williams does everything. Or at least, it seems like he does. In his role at the Business Council of British Columbia, he has to talk and listen to all groups of people, depending on the issues of the day. To know what is going on, he has to read all the time – what experts are saying, what business leaders are saying, and what data is out there. It’s his job to find out what makes the economy tick.

Have you ever felt confused about your career or company and not sure where it is going? Ron Bremner’s job is to help you navigate through that. He finds joy in working with his clients to look at work with a new perspective. Over time, he finds that those clients become friends – because seeing their growth gives Ron immense pride.

As the president of Neptune Terminals, there are no typical days for Megan Owen-Evans, but some days can get long – but it is an element of the job that she loves. This is a job she never considered when she was going to school. In fact, she thought she would be a doctor but didn’t end up finishing that journey. Instead, she worked in various jobs and realized that her dreams lay elsewhere. Finally returning to school, she had a fresh plan and different direction.