Isn’t there a faster way to gain job-ready tech and AI skills — without committing to a whole degree program? Today on the show… imagine you want to step into a new career — but the idea of spending years earning another degree feels out of reach. There is another path. As the saying goes, AI won’t replace people — but people who use AI will replace people who don’t. Through short, focused “nanodegrees” and online courses, Udacity is helping individuals and organizations build the skills that shape the future of work. Jared Molton, Vice President at Udacity, is part of the movement forging futures in tech — empowering learners worldwide to unlock their potential in an AI-enabled world.   For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!

In this episode, we’re tackling a topic that affects not just companies, but communities and careers: how we find and grow the people who keep our industries moving. Our focus is on the aerospace, engineering, and manufacturing sectors—areas where Canada has deep strengths but also faces big challenges. To help us unpack this, we’re joined by the owners of a Toronto- based executive search firm that does things a little differently. Instead of focusing only on C-suite leaders, they recruit across the entire spectrum—from tradespeople and technicians to engineers, managers, and executives. We’ll explore their business model, the unique dynamics of aerospace, trends across manufacturing, and how AI impacts recruiting.   Guest Bios Our Guests today are a father and son team. Barry Wohl has over 30 years in HR leadership, including roles as Vice President of Human Resources at major aerospace firms like Safran and Bombardier. He brings deep expertise in talent acquisition and organizational growth. Now leading a recruitment firm specializing in manufacturing, engineering, and aerospace, he has helped thousands of professionals find the right roles in areas such as quality, supply chain, and compliance. Matthew Wohl is the VP and Partner at The Wohl Group, bringing over 14 years of experience in recruitment and talent strategy. He’s helped countless professionals and companies find the right fit while building a LinkedIn network of 135,000 followers who engage with his insights on modern hiring. Focused on making recruitment more human and effective, Matthew is passionate about improving the hiring experience and supporting people through career transitions.    For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!

When Helene Clarkson’s kids were a bit older, and her husband’s career was on track, she asked herself: Hey, what am I gonna do? Today on Career Buzz, we talk with Helene Clarkson, founder of a Canadian sustainable fashion label that designs stylish, smart, versatile clothing for women on the go. After an earlier career, in theatre and acting, in 2014, Helene launched her own clothing line, and what began with pop-up shops in Toronto has since grown into a global brand. From launching and scaling a mission-driven brand, to navigating the complexities of design, production, and identity in fashion — clothing designer Helene Clarkson shares her story behind the seams.   For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!

In career, there are fast shifts - and slow shifts. Fast is quitting, layoff, retirement. Slow is the build-up to fast. How can you optimize slow to weather fast? On Career Buzz, we explore transitions with Marilyn Hintsa — a retirement readiness coach and facilitator of Next Chapter Dialogues. After navigating her own unexpected early retirement, Marilyn now helps others move beyond the ‘shoulds’ of what retirement is supposed to look like, and instead create meaningful, fulfilling lives.   For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!

Why are team-building and career development critical for creating engaged, high-performing workplaces? How do trusting relationships between employees lead to stronger collaboration, better productivity, and lasting success for organizations?   Heidi Heung and Mark Franklin and Rich Feller lead and coordinate the teams at OneLifeTools and CareerCycles. Our teams of career professionals have helped thousands of employees navigate career and life transitions by sparking powerful conversations that build clarity, confidence, and connection. Listen in as we have a conversation about the positive outcomes of organizational team building and internal career development.    ALSO on this episode:   When you’re overwhelmed by news, ads, tech and the fast pace of life, how can you slow down, focus on what you want and then actually get it?   David Cohen has taught thousands over the years to sell, plan and market their ventures successfully. He’s recently published the book, “Live Life SWIFT: The Ultimate Guide Filled With Actionable Steps to Help You Live Your Best Life.” In it, he takes readers through the simple but effective SWIFT framework to help anyone make good plans, and take inspired action.    For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!

Entrepreneurship is the process of identifying a commercial opportunity and putting it into action by developing new products, services, or business models, often involving innovation and risk-taking. It encompasses a wide range of activities, from starting a small business to launching a scalable startup, and can occur independently or within an existing organization, such as through intrapreneurship.  At its core, entrepreneurship involves creating new value, whether economic, social, or otherwise, by utilizing resources in innovative ways to address market needs or gaps.  The entrepreneur is typically seen as an innovator who bears the primary risk and potential reward of the venture, driving change through activities like “creative destruction” to replace outdated offerings with new ones.  65% to 85% of entrepreneurial ventures fail and only 10% reach a 20th anniversary. Our Guest Today is Rahi Tajzadeh a seasoned executive strategist, Certified Management Consultant, and trusted advisor known for guiding boards, C-suites, and founders through complex transformation, turnarounds, and strategic growth. With 19 years of experience across diverse sectors, Rahi delivers actionable, research-driven strategies that drive measurable growth, innovation, and ethical leadership. A graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University with a Master of Science in Management and a Bachelor of Commerce in Entrepreneurship, Rahi is a recipient of awards such as the CMC Canada President’s Award and recognition as a Top 10 Alumni.   For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!

In this special episode, Dr Michael Stebleton and Dr Abby Razink present an engaging discussion about a new concept they are playing with, namely, Career Play. Explore the meaning of Career Play and its value for your career and life success. Listen & join Hoda and her guests on Career Buzz to increase your Career Literacy.   Guest Bios Dr Michael J. Stebleton is Professor of Higher Education in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. He teaches at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. His academic interests focus on college student development and career development. His work has appeared in numerous venues including: Journal of Career Development, Journal of College Student Development, and Career Development Quarterly. In 2017, Stebleton received the Merit Award from the National Career Development Association (NCDA) for his contributions to the careereducation field. Dr. Abby Razink, is an organizational consultant and recent Ph.D. graduate in Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Her dissertation explored the influence of experiential learning on career development during the college-to-work transition. At the University of Minnesota, she taught sales courses and directed an intercollegiate sales competition. Abby serves on the editorial board of NASPA’s Journal of College and Character. Her writing on educational trends has appeared in Psychology Today. Abby can be reached via LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/abbyrazink.   For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters! at onelifetools.com

How can everyone a student meets help them in their career exploration? Professor Michael Stebleton from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and colleagues argue in their publications that anyone can be a “career influencer” and that career conversations can be effective when everyone on campus adopts this helpful mindset. Tune into this wide ranging conversation with career expert Mike Stebleton where we talk about gamification and play as a form of career development, AI’s impact on careers, how students can articulate their skills, and even how to be a “reasonable adventurer.”   For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!

Industrial design is a process of design applied to physical products that may be manufactured by mass production.  It is the creative act of determining and defining a product’s form and features, which takes place in advance of the manufacture or production of the product. Industrial Design can also be described as “creative problem solving”. At times, at the end of the design process, there won’t actually be a new product emerging. One of the first questions asked is “is a new product necessary?” But what does it take for an industrial designer to transition from a purely design role into an entrepreneur path building a design/manufacture/install business in the area of home renovations.   Guest Bio Kevin Karst an Industrial Designer and journeyman cabinetmaker with 50 years of experience. Kevin moved from the Canadian prairies to Ontario in 1984 to pursue higher education. His Industrial Design degree, with high distinction, from Carleton University (1988) builds on his certified tradesman status. With a background of product development at Knoll, Teknion and OSF, Kevin currently excels at custom design, fabrication and installation for his client base in Toronto, specializing in residential cabinetry and furniture.  Currently working from his well-equipped facility in the East Downtown area, he provides innovative solutions with superior craftsmanship to discerning clients.   For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters! at onelifetools.com

You know those giant pieces of heavy equipment you see on construction sites like cranes, bulldozers, backhoes? Ever wonder how people learn to operate them? And how the decide to get into that work in the first place? Imagine a heavy equipment simulator so good you can use it to train people, and even explore what it’d be like to operate heavy equipment. That’s what Mark Franklin did when he met Jonathan LaBerdia, an account manager for CAT Simulators. He set Mark up on a simulator at a conference booth, and had him operate a bulldozer around a simulated work site. He said he did a good job! Because he hadn’t killed anyone, unlike others who tried the simulator.     What’s it like to work in the world of simulators? How do you get into that work? Listen in as Mark Franklin talks with Jonathan LaBerdia, of CAT Simulators, here on Career Buzz, the unique radio conversation that empowers lives, enriches careers and energizes organizations.     For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!

As technology grows day by day, businesses also grow to stay ahead, or else be obsolete. Part 2 of the Innovation Nation episode with Pranav Bhardwaj explores how AI and Generative AI are reshaping management consulting. It covers strategic implications like new business models, managed services, and outcome-based pricing. The discussion highlights data governance, compliance challenges, and how firms measure ROI from AI. It also examines the evolving competitive landscape as tech giants and boutique AI firms disrupt traditional consulting. Finally, it emphasizes why human judgment, ethics, and trust remain critical alongside automation.   Guest Bio Pranav Bhardwaj is currently the Global Lead for the Operate Program and Deloitte Consulting. Pranav is a career MC, having worked in the MC industry since the age of 22. His clients have spanned from the UK to South Africa, from Japan to the US and 8 years ago he dropped an anchor in Lake Ontario and has been living in Toronto a few minutes from the lake. His areas of specialization are enterprise strategy, artificial intelligence, product development and supply chain management. In his current role, he is supporting the definition and execution of a firmwide strategy that would impact the 400,000+ employees and Deloitte and over 3000 clients that Deloitte serves globally. A mechanical engineer with a business degree from Ivey business school, he is passionate about all thing’s technology, people and reading!

Thrilled to have Devon Turcotte, and Sarah-Jane VandenBerg join us to talk about careers, parenting and their podcast, The One About Careers. Listen & join Hoda and her guests on Career Buzz to increase your Career Literacy. Guest Bios Sarah-Jane VandenBerg is a Career Coach, Author and Speaker. She is a Certified Career Development Practitioner and a Holistic Narrative Career Professional with over 30 years of experience working with career decision makers and job seekers. She has witnessed the confusion, despair and anxiety individuals have around work. After individuals have worked with Sarah-Jane, individuals feel relief and reassurance about their career plans and know how to get the results they desire. Sarah-Jane’s book is called, Lost & Found: An Adult’s Guide to Empowering Teens to Make Their Best Career Decisions and she speaks about Career Decision Making with competency, fun, practicality and honesty to adults who live with, work with and mentor teens. Together with Devon Turcotte, their podcast, The One About Careers, is the career podcast for adults who work with, live with or mentor teens who are finding it a challenge to plan for life after high school. Released weekly in bite-sized conversations about everything career and education to help their listeners better support the career decisions of the teens in their life.  For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters! at onelifetools.com

Is it true that children are more creative than computer AI? How can we use literature, art, and stories to increase innovation, resilience, and joy in the era of AI? These are the research questions of Career Buzz guest, Angus Fletcher. We had an inspiring conversation covering Angus’s own career and education story from studying life science in undergrad to focusing on Shakespeare in his PhD. Listen in to connect the dots from bio to Bard, and from science to story. Angus Fletcher is Professor of Story Science at Project Narrative at The Ohio State University, and author of “Primal Intelligence” and “Storythinking: The New Science of Narrative Intelligence.”  

As technology grows day by day, businesses also grow to stay ahead, or else be obsolete.  AI and Gen AI is impacting the MC industry requiring a major transformation in operations and services.  The MC industry is a $1T business globally and is expected to rise to $5T by 2028. This paradigm shift is both a challenge and an opportunity for the MC industry. AI and Gen AI has changed the way we interact with technology. This new technology will impact the business domain in general and specifically MC, which has always been a human centric industry. The MC sector offers specific knowledge and solutions to companies across different industries.  AI and Gen AI consulting services will take MC to a higher level of performance, alter the nature of MC more than ever, allowing for the automation of operational processes as well as enhancing the quality, and service effectiveness. AI and gen AI is more than an incremental tech revolution – it is in fact a major paradigm shift that MC firms need to embrace. Guest Bio Pranav Bhardwaj who is currently the Global Lead for the Operate Program and Deloitte Consulting. Pranav is a career MC, having worked in the MC industry since the age of 22. His clients have spanned from the UK to South Africa, from Japan to the US and 8 years ago he dropped an anchor in Lake Ontario and has been living in Toronto a few minutes from the lake. His areas of specialization are enterprise strategy, artificial intelligence, product development and supply chain management. In his current role, he is supporting the definition and execution of a firmwide strategy that would impact the 400,000+ employees and Deloitte and over 3000 clients that Deloitte serves globally. A mechanical engineer with a business degree from Ivey business school, he is passionate about all thing’s technology, people and reading!

Enjoy this lively conversation and dive deep with Hoda and guest, Dr Marcelo Staricoff, into the JOY OF NOT KNOWING aka #JONK. Listen & join Hoda and her guests on Career Buzz to increase your Career Literacy. Guest Bio A former scientist and Primary School Headteacher, Dr Marcelo is currently a Lecturer in Education at the University of Sussex and joint course leader of the BA Primary and Early Years Programme. He has recently worked on behalf of UNICEF with policy makers, educators and textbook writers to help implement a reformed national curriculum in Uzbekistan.  Dr Marcelo also works for Coram (a children’s charity), runs courses and acts as an advisor to a number of schools and educational organisations. He speaks regularly at national and international events on the principles that underpin the Joy of Not Knowing’s philosophy of education and school leadership.  Marcelo is also the author of Start Thinking (Imaginative Minds, 2005) and has published widely in the fields of creative, critical, multilingual, multicultural and philosophical thinking and learning in the classroom. Marcelo is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Education (APPG) and a Trustee of the Laurel Trust and Chair of the Michael Aldrich Foundation. Marcelo’s work and his contributions to education were recognised in 2019 by being named as a Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and in 2023 when he became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters! at onelifetools.com

Welcome to the show where we explore how everyday hobbies can spark extraordinary ventures. Whether you’re baking on weekends, tinkering with tech, snapping photos, or writing poetry—your hobby might be more than just a pastime. In this series, we dive into real stories and expert insights on how people just like you turned what they love into thriving businesses. Because sometimes, the key to success isn’t starting with a plan… it’s starting with a passion.  In this case the passion for Rugby. Guest Bio Shane O’Neill is a 30-year information system and technologist with a possible “untraditional” journey to where he is today. A veteran of the Irish Defence Forces and UNIFIL service in Lebanon, he has plotted his journey in IT thought predominantly in media.  With that knowledge, along with a great love of rugby, Shane created a technology he calls Audeohost – a streaming service for live TV sports commentary delivered directly to a fan’s smartphone. The product has applicability across many industries and settings. The Audeohost journey began in 2011, with certain ups and down and we are not necessarily talking volume control here. The Audeohost strapline is “Hearing the complete Picture”. Shane grew up in County Tipperary and attended Limerick Regional Tech College. For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters! at onelifetools.com

Our message today is about gathering others to support you. Wayne Pagani’s term was Circle of Support. Take the time to pause, re-listen to the definition of the term and let us know how you grow your Circle of Support. Bella Doswell is on a mission to increase awareness about the work that Career Development Professionals do. She calls it a movement and is inviting everyone to join. Is there a topic for which you would like to advocate? What would you do to start a movement? Listen & join Hoda and her guests on Career Buzz to increase your Career Literacy. Guest Bios Guest and Career Development Professional, Wayne Pagani has over 25 years of coaching experience serving people with diverse backgrounds internationally. He has assisted over a thousand clients with career / life objectives to develop effective action plans in order to achieve their life aspirations and career goals. This is combined with over 14 years of business experience in the transportation industry where Wayne was responsible for managing operations and maximizing employee engagement. In addition, he brings over ten years of counselling experience working with clients in residential facilities to foster personal growth.  Wayne also facilitates inspirational workshops and services to clients seeking solutions in all sectors of business and community. He has delivered customized train-the-trainer programs for career / employment service organizations.  And finally, Wayne offers a holistic perspective and approach to supporting people, empowers them by providing resources and connections to others to help them realize and fulfill their career/life aspirations. Bella Doswell, is an award winning, Certified Careers Development Professional who brings successes in helping people make successful career management decisions and develop winning job search strategies. Rather uncommonly, she has a master’s degree in Career Development & Coaching, which gives her more flex and depth when helping Clients. Bella has helped people with their careers in the UK, the UAE and since 2012, for Clients in Canada. She has enjoyed working with a wide spectrum of clients, from under/post grads at university, right through to more recently, professionals and Senior Executive level employees, from all sectors of the labour market. Bella has also taught student CDPs counselling skills and ethics at Further Education level and is a passionate advocate for the promotion and professional wellbeing of CDPs around the world.  And finally, Bella is the Co-Architect of the successful #SoMuchMoreThanTalkingAboutJobs campaign, and author of the weekly CDP Thought For The Week, posted every Monday on LinkedIn.  For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters! at onelifetools.com

In this episode, Professor Mark Chignell shared his decade-long journey transforming research into real-world tools aimed at enhancing cognitive and physical health in aging populations. His work bridges psychology, engineering, and entrepreneurship, resulting in products like To Race With Me, BrainTagger, and Chummy, now being tested in care homes across Canada and Japan. How can human-centered design reshape the future of aging and dementia care? What does it take to turn a decade of research into real-world healthcare innovation? Could tech tools like 2 Race With Me and Brain Tagger redefine well-being for older adults? Guest Bio Mark Chignell has been a member of the Mechanical & Industrial Engineering faculty since 1990. Prior to that he was an Assistant Professor in Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Southern California from 1984 to 1990. Professor Chignell taught in the Psychology Department at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia from 1980 to 1982. He has a PhD in Psychology (University of Canterbury, New Zealand, 1981), and an MS in Industrial and Systems Engineering (Ohio State, 1984). He was formerly (2013-2017) the Director of the Knowledge Media Design Institute at the University of Toronto, and the BUL Chair in Human Computer Interaction. He has been a visiting scientist at the IBM Centre for Advanced Studies in Toronto since 2002 and he was a visiting scientist at Keio University from 2005 to 2010. Professor Chignell has co-authored books on expert systems and intelligent databases (published by John Wiley & Sons) and he has co-edited three books. He has many journal and conference papers on topics such as hypertext and information retrieval, user interface design and healthcare applications. His research has been funded by the Bell University Laboratories, the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), IBM, the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, TELUS, Oki Corporation, Ricoh Corporation, and Apple Computer. He has founded two start-up companies, both of which received funding. His latest startup is Centivizer Inc. which is a University of Toronto startup that has been funded by the AGEWELL National Centre of Excellence. Centivizer creates exergaming and cognitive assessment products to support healthy aging.   For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters! at onelifetools.com

Dr Dorothy E. Siminovitch shares tremendously valuable career advice. Her career term was Awareness Intelligence. Take the time to pause, relisten to the definition of the term and the questions that Dorothy asks and let us know how easy it was for you to answer them. Listen, learn and respond! Join Hoda and her guests on Career Buzz to increase your Career Literacy.   Guest BioDorothy E. Siminovitch, PhD, Master Certified Coach, is founder and president of Gestalt Coaching Works, LLC. She is an international coach, consultant, speaker, and author. Dorothy is the founder and co-owner of the Gestalt Coaching Program in Istanbul, an ICF coach training program which she serves as Director of Training and as faculty. Dorothy earned her PhD through Case Western Reserve University’s prestigious Department of Organizational Behavior. She pioneered the application of Gestalt theory, concepts, and practices in the service of professional coaching. She began delivering Gestalt coach training in 1996 after earning her Master Certified Coach credentials from the International Coach Federation (ICF). Dorothy honed her rich coaching, teaching, and consulting skills while serving in leadership and primary educator roles at renowned Gestalt study centers, and she has expanded her knowledge and wisdom by co-presenting with fellow thought-leaders in the coaching field. Dorothy specializes in coaching for signature awareness of one’s presence, leadership peak performance, overcoming derailment, and working with high performance leaders, groups, and teams. She presents additional training and development opportunities to ICF conferences and chapters and by invitation to commercial and non-profit organizations worldwide. Her book, A Gestalt Coaching Primer: The Path Toward Awareness Intelligence (2nd Edition), is recognized as a profound introduction to professional coaching for those well-practiced and novices alike. She is co-developer and co-author of the Awareness 20/20™ leadership assessment instrument, a quantitative analysis of leaders’ awareness and the demonstrated ROI benefits of the self-aware leader. Dorothy is best known by colleagues, clients, students, and presentation participants as someone whose inviting warmth inspires trust, hope, and intuitive wisdom. She was recently honored by the ICF-Toronto Chapter with the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award in Coaching

One of the most alarming aspects of AI is its impact on jobs and the economy. Advances in AI threaten to make many human jobs obsolete.  Which will completely disrupt national and international economies. And, a growing number of AI experts - such as "The Godfather of AI," and Canadian Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton - are warning that the current AI Arms Race between OpenAI, Google and other tech companies, is very dangerous, and might lead to the destruction of the human race.  Yet - little is being done to prepare for the impending shock.   Dagan Shani is a filmmaker who explores the future implications of AI and automation on the job market. His 2 documentaries, OBSOLETE and DON’T LOOK UP are available on Youtube. Through interviews with experts and smart editing of film clips from news and talk shows like Jon Stewart, Shani explains the risks and sounds the alarm.     Join Mark Franklin, and Dagan Shani, from his family’s home in Kibbutz Gan Shmuel in Central Israel, on this episode of Career Buzz.