Working hard in a dream job and answering a calling
Guest: NJ Ayuk (chair of an energy advocacy group)
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.
For Chyanne Trenholm, meeting people from all over the world is an everyday occurrence at Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours. Fittingly, her love for tourism started with the outdoors. Combined with her educational background in physical education, it has well-positioned her to connect visitors with nature and introduce them to Canada’s indigenous culture in a way that never would have been possible in their home countries or cities.
Problem solving – that is how lawyer Bruce McIvor describes his job. To him, that is why people come to lawyers. It is about identifying the problem, the solution, and barriers to the solution. “It’s often not about the law,” he claims. “It’s about relationships” and how legal issues tend to come up when a relationship has failed in some way. That is also something he teaches his students at the University of British Columbia, helping shape the next generation of lawyers.
Many doctors are also business owners. That is something that Brian Day points out, as leader of the Cambie Surgery Centre, a private surgery clinic in Vancouver. As the CEO, he leads a small team and also promotes ideas and ways to improve the healthcare system in Canada. In addition, his experience with sports medicine earned him a spot in British Columbia’s Sports Hall of Fame – the first orthopedic surgeon to be inducted – and his reputation has led him to treat some of the famous celebrities who work in Vancouver’s film industry.
What is Michael Geller’s job? To him, his role has ranged from architect to urban planner to developer to real estate consultant. Not to be outdone, he entered politics by running for Vancouver city council – after all, real estate and politics are often intertwined.