Meet CPC’s 2022 Masterminds

I had the pleasure of facilitating Career Professionals of Canada’s Mastermind Mentoring Group once again this year. This is the 13th time we’ve been able to support career professionals in the development of their entrepreneurial ventures. What a thrill it was to watch these ten masterminds build and grow their businesses over the last four months! If you have wondered about starting your own private practice, you will gain inspiration by reading some of their stories.

Cindy Visser

I have been a high school Career Counsellor for over ten years and recently started a private practice — “Pathways4You Career Services.”

I joined the CPC Mastermind Group to collaborate with other career professionals and to learn more about marketing and promoting my services. Eventually, I would like to focus solely on my private business. Some of my key learnings included how to utilize LinkedIn as a marketing and networking tool, target the audience in the area of my specialization, and confidently establish and commit to my price structure.

Networking with other career professionals has had a profound influence on building my confidence.  I have made some great connections that I will continue to network and collaborate with in the future. This was an amazing opportunity for professional development!

Kevin Shirton

I became a Certified Résumé Strategist (CRS), a Certified Interview Strategist (CIS), and started my business, “CareerNest Coaching,” in late 2021. My niche is entry-level to mid-level professionals in business and technology.

Over the last few months, as part of the CPC Mastermind Group, I’ve learned so much about starting my résumé writing and career coaching business. It’s been great brainstorming with like-minded people who are at similar stages with their businesses. Applying my lessons learned in the group to my practice has no doubt increased the value I provide to clients.

As a bonus, I developed long-lasting comradeships with my fellow masterminds. Everyone was supportive of each other and offered unique perspectives, which provided a wealth of insight and knowledge.

Even though our formal meetings have ended, we plan on staying in touch and meeting regularly. This is only the beginning of our journey.

Jude Gaal

I’m a career advisor who decided to go solo in April of 2020 and start “Résumé Redux” to support clients with their job search.

Being part of a CPC Mastermind Group has been a wonderful experience. When I joined the group, my two learning objectives were getting more comfortable with marketing, and learning how to work smarter, not harder. We talked a lot about marketing and how to attract clients. I’ve got a plethora of notes to draw on and incorporate into my marketing content on LinkedIn.

The group shared so many helpful resources. There was something for every topic. I now know about WAVE (an accounting system with a free version), Calendly, Hootsuite, HubSpot — and so many more. I also learned that I don’t have to do this on my own. Starting and building a business is not for the faint of heart and knowing that I am connected to my fellow solopreneurs gives me a feeling of confidence. As the saying goes, “a problem shared is a problem halved,” and having the support of my fellow masterminds is something that I am very grateful for.

I am a lot closer to working smarter, not harder. Implementing all I have learned is my goal for this year. I want to thank Career Professionals of Canada for offering this invaluable program to its members.

Natassia Lawrence

I am a passionate Career Coach and Certified Résumé Strategist (CRS) through Career Professionals of Canada. My specialty is helping clients build an impactful personal brand that adds value to their career development. I am dedicated to empowering job seekers to achieve their greatest potential. In my spare time, I enjoys binge watching Netflix, eating chocolate, and catching up with friends.

Thanks to the CPC Mastermind Group, I’m walking away with clarity, business development strategies, and a strong team of career professionals that I now call friends. It’s been an amazing experience to connect with like-minded, self-motivated individuals who genuinely hope for your success.

I’ve applied many of the lessons learned to my business and the results have been significant. Not only has it increased the value of my services, but it has also inspired my desire for continued career development. I look forward to connecting with my fellow masterminds on an ongoing basis.

Erin Hewitt

I support early to mid-level professionals with the job search process by providing professional résumé writing services, interview coaching, and career planning advice.

After 20 years working in human resources, I decided to switch my focus to career development and the candidate experience. I joined the Mastermind Group to learn how to take the combined knowledge I’d acquired from CPC courses and my own work experience and apply that to the creation of an independent practice. What a great decision! I’ve spent the last four months getting to know like-minded colleagues who have been gracious enough to share their own successes and challenges. It has been so helpful to have a sounding board during the exciting and challenging time of starting a business.

The knowledge I’ve picked up on marketing, sales, and business operations has been invaluable. But, the very best part has been establishing connections and new friendships!

Lama Shaath

I am a Career Development Practitioner (CDP), Certified Career Strategist (CCS), Certified Work-Life Strategist (CWS), Transformational Coach, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) practitioner.

Being part of Career Professional of Canada’s Mastermind Mentoring Group was a valuable and exceptional experience. Besides the rich sharing of knowledge and expertise between the masterminds — on a wide variety of topics — I learned that group mentoring is powerful. It gives the mentees the power to research, discover, contribute, and take an active role in a community of like-minded professionals that empowers them to advance their personal and business goals.

What significant accomplishments we achieved through connecting, networking, and building relationships and alliances that will help us and our businesses grow and succeed. It is an experience you don’t want to miss!

If you have already “graduated” from Career Professional’s of Canada’s Mastermind Mentoring Program, please share your experiences in the comments section. We’d love to learn about the results you’ve realized as a career development mastermind!

Sharon Graham is founder and executive director of Career Professionals of Canada. Committed to setting the standard for excellence in the career development profession, Sharon has authored top selling paperback publications and textbooks, and has established a range of certification, professional development, community development, mentoring, and award programs. As executive director of CPC, she provides foresight and leadership within the sector and ensures that the mandate of this national organization is upheld with integrity.