Boosted

Have you ever stood outside your own event, unable to get in, while colleagues right beside you walked through without question?In this episode of Boosted, I sit down with Patrice Barnes, a former Ontario MPP who immigrated to Canada from Jamaica and built a career that took her from school trustee to Queen's Park to public affairs. Patrice is candid, reflective, and still working through some of this in real time, and that honesty is what makes this conversation so rich.We talk about growing up grounded in who she was in Jamaica, the moment identity became something she had to navigate rather than just live, and what it actually means when someone asks, "where are you from?"We cover:Growing up in Jamaica, where class shaped identity far more than race ever didA night at a political event when security wouldn't let her in, despite colleagues walking past with the exact same credentialsThe moment she caught herself making the same assumption she's usually on the receiving end ofThe GRACE Framework: a tool for knowing whether to ask "where are you from," how to ask it, and how to receive it gracefullyWhat it takes to translate between government and the organizations, and communities, it's meant to serveThis episode is essential for anyone navigating identity in public-facing work, leading with representation in mind, or figuring out what it means to bring your full self into rooms that don't always make space for you. If you've ever wondered whether asking "where are you from?" builds a bridge or a wall, this one is for you.Part of the Boosted Season 2 guest series on the question we avoid, and how to ask it anyway.New episodes every other Thursday. Subscribe and discover how intentional presence creates the career differentiator that sets you apart.Boosted is brought to you by Boost Academy of Excellence. boostacademyofexcellence.comWatch the keynote I reference in this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UzI6vESpB8The GRACE Framework: https://boostacademyofexcellence.com/cibc/#grace-downloadConnect with Patrice on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricebarnes-1/Connect with Trina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trinaboos/Music by: In the City

Have you ever reached out to a total stranger because you recognized their last name?In this episode of Boosted, I sit down with Analisa Allen, a communications specialist who immigrated to Canada from Trinidad and Tobago in 2018 and built her career from the ground up, one bet, one connection, and one "foot in the door" at a time. Analisa actually found me the same way half of Trinidad seems to find each other: through a last name.We talk about what it takes to rebuild a career in a new country, the moment a stranger decided to bet on her before she'd proven anything, and what it really means when someone asks, "where are you from?"We cover:How a Trinidadian last name, and a childhood hospital room memory, connected two strangers on LinkedInTaking a role beneath her actual level on purpose, as a strategy to get her foot in the door in CanadaThe moment a hiring manager recognized her name and decided to bet on her before the interview even startedThe GRACE Framework: a tool for knowing whether to ask "where are you from," how to ask it, and how to receive it gracefullyWhat she's kept from Trinidad that she'll never let go of, and what Canada gave her that she never expectedThis episode is essential for anyone building a career in a new country, leading a diverse team, or navigating what it means to bring your full self to work. If you've ever wondered whether asking "where are you from?" builds a bridge or a wall, this one is for you.Part of the Boosted Season 2 guest series on the question we avoid, and how to ask it anyway.New episodes every other Thursday. Subscribe and discover how intentional presence creates the career differentiator that sets you apart.Boosted is brought to you by Boost Academy of Excellence. boostacademyofexcellence.comWatch the keynote I reference in this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UzI6vESpB8The GRACE Framework: https://boostacademyofexcellence.com/cibc/#grace-downloadConnect with Analisa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/analisaallen/ Connect with Trina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trinaboos/Music by: In the City

Have you ever asked "Where are you from?" and wondered if you were asking it right?In this episode of Boosted, I sit down with Amy Au, a Hong Kong-born leadership coach, international bestselling author, and founder of Innovate You. Amy came to Canada as a teenager, fell in love with the country almost immediately, and built her career and family here, but she's spent decades navigating this question across two very different cultures.We go deep on one of the most common, and most complicated, questions in professional life, the split second before she answers it, and how to ask it with grace.We cover:What it actually feels like to hear "you're from Canada?" said back with disbelief, and the difference between that and genuine curiosityThe accent she consciously softened to be understood, and the handful of words she never could changeThe GRACE Framework: a tool for knowing whether to ask, how to ask, and how to receive this question gracefullyWhy genuine curiosity connects us, and why asking to confirm an assumption does the oppositeThis episode is essential for anyone working in a diverse workplace, leading a team, or navigating professional relationships across cultures. If you've ever asked this question without thinking, or avoided it entirely out of fear, this one is for you.Part of the Boosted Season 2 guest series on the question we avoid, and how to ask it anyway.New episodes every other Thursday. Subscribe and discover how intentional presence creates the career differentiator that sets you apart.Boosted is brought to you by Boost Academy of Excellence. boostacademyofexcellence.comWatch the keynote I reference in this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UzI6vESpB8&tThe GRACE Framework: https://boostacademyofexcellence.com/cibc/#grace-downloadConnect with Amy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-au-wm/Amy's website: https://innovateyou.caConnect with Trina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trinaboos/Music by: In the City

Have you ever asked "Where are you from?" - and wondered if you were asking it right?In this episode of Boosted, I sit down with Hilda Gan, a third-generation Canadian Chinese whose family has been in this country since the railroad era of the late 1800s. Hilda grew up in a mostly non-Chinese neighbourhood, culturally in-between in a way she didn't have language for until she was a teenager. And yet, she is still asked where she's from as if she just arrived.We go deep on one of the most common - and most complicated - questions in professional life, the history behind it, and how to ask it with grace.We cover:What it actually feels like to be asked "Where are you from?" when your family has been here for three generationsThe hidden history of Chinese Canadians in Toronto - the head tax, Canada’s Chinese Exclusion Act, and the original Chinatown most people don't know aboutThe woman who sat beside Diefenbaker and helped change Canadian law - Jean LumThe GRACE Framework: a tool for knowing whether to ask, how to ask, and how to receive this question gracefullyWhy genuine curiosity connects us - and why asking to categorize someone does the oppositeThis episode is essential for anyone working in a diverse workplace, leading a team, or navigating professional relationships across cultures. If you've ever asked this question without thinking - or avoided it entirely out of fear - this one is for you.Part of the Boosted Season 2 guest series on the question we avoid, and how to ask it anyway.New episodes every other Thursday. Subscribe and discover how intentional presence creates the career differentiator that sets you apart.Boosted is brought to you by Boost Academy of Excellence. boostacademyofexcellence.comLink to the keynote I reference in this episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5bndHmWza7ZW6J2yodejoo?si=bpI7GM41RwKzX5QtUo72BAThe GRACE Framework: https://boostacademyofexcellence.com/cibc/#grace-downloadMusic by: In the City

Have you ever been asked "Where are you from?" and felt like there was no simple answer?In this episode of Boosted, I sit down with Salma Khalaf, a Palestinian refugee born and raised in Lebanon, now building her life in Canada. Salma has never set foot in Palestine. Neither has her father. And at the time of this recording, she holds no passport from any of the three countries that have shaped her identity.We go deep on one of the most loaded questions in professional settings, why we're told not to ask it, why we ask it anyway, and how to ask it right.We cover:What it is actually like to navigate "Where are you from?" when no single answer is trueHow the question can connect people, or quietly make someone feel like an outsiderThe difference between Canadian and American workplaces when it comes to identityThe GRACE Framework: a tool for knowing whether to ask, how to ask, and how to receive this question gracefullyA concept from Salma's culture that stopped me in my tracks: give someone 70 excuses before assuming the worstThis episode is essential for anyone working in a diverse workplace, leading a team, or navigating professional relationships across cultures. If you have ever asked this question without thinking, or avoided it entirely out of fear, this one is for you.Part of the Boosted Season 2 guest series on the question we avoid, and how to ask it anyway.New episodes every other Thursday. Subscribe and discover how intentional presence creates the career differentiator that sets you apart.Boosted is brought to you by Boost Academy of Excellence. boostacademyofexcellence.comLink to the keynote I reference in this episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5bndHmWza7ZW6J2yodejoo?si=bpI7GM41RwKzX5QtUo72BAThe GRACE Framework: https://boostacademyofexcellence.com/cibc/Music by: In the City