Boost Academy of Excellence

Last night’s Gen Z professionals meetup was a HUGE success.

We talked about what leaders say Gen Z struggles with.

Then we asked: what if the solution was something unexpected?

What if it was learning the art of hosting? (And doing it consistently)?

Opening your home. Making space. Showing up with intention.

Because hosting teaches you everything they say you need:
- Communication
- Creativity
- Project Management
- Stress Management
- Preparation
- How to handle conflict gracefully

So we challenged them: host someone by next month. Make them a meal. Report back.

They drew the meal they would prepare. They shared. The conversations were rich - we learned about their cultures, their travels, and so much more.

July 23 – Gen Z professionals (ages 19-29)

Know a Gen Z who should be there? Share this post with them!

Link in bio to RSVP

Networking NetworkingToronto WorkplaceSKills GenZ

A special thanks to and for a wonderful evening last week!

What a night…!

I was invited by the to join the Finals Weekend social - and got to meet the most driven group of students, flown in from all corners of Canada to compete.

We broke the ice over ping pong (I may have removed my shoes mid-game in the name of competition 😅), and I was reminded why moments like these matter - being in a room full of people who genuinely love this craft.

And seeing Professor Malik after so many years, the mastermind behind the CML and a newly inducted member of the Marketing Hall of Legends - truly an honour. 🙌

Can’t wait to watch these finalists compete this week. The future of Canadian marketing is in great hands. 🇨🇦

NextGenMarketers MarketingLife CanadianMarketing MarketingLeadership StudentMarketing PingPong CMLFinals MarketingHallOfLegends Toronto

To all my entrepreneur friends — this one’s for you. 🙌
If you’re looking to get in front of enterprise buyers and expand your network, check out Maia. They run Canada-wide tours once or twice a year, monthly virtual networking events, AND have a full portal with free courses to help you grow and scale your business.
Genuinely one of the best networking experiences I’ve had. Highly recommend.
🔗 maiaconnex.com/en/

This week, I held a workshop on eye contact. Then I had participants stare at each other and make art.
Why? Because eye contact means something completely different depending on where you grew up, how your brain is wired, and what you’ve lived through.

I framed it around three lenses:

👁️ The cultural lens: what reads as confident in one culture reads as disrespectful in another
👁️ The neurological lens: expecting eye contact as proof of engagement isn’t a professional standard. It’s a neurotypical one.
👁️ The trauma lens: for some people, sustained eye contact triggers a stress response that has nothing to do with confidence or respect.

Then we did blind contour drawing - looking at a colleague while drawing them without ever looking down at the page.

The debrief sparked rich conversations about how to coach both candidates and employers on this nuanced topic.

Interested in bringing this workshop to your team? Link in bio or send me a DM.

Today, I co-hosted a workshop called “From Hello to Sold” with Paul Doucet of Sandler Systems. The energy is the room was just incredible! We had our participants getting out of their seats, networking, sharing, and learning not only about the art of networking strategically, but how to turn those contacts into paying clients. What an insightful morning, for not only the attendees, but for me as well. I loved every minute.

I spent the day immersed in the legal profession - learning about strategies to build a thriving practice.

We talked about how to not only secure clients, but how to attract the right clients - the ones aligned with your values.

We explored strategic networking, the impact of AI on the legal landscape, and what it really takes to grow sustainably.

What struck me most: The clear training gaps around business development, client management, networking, marketing, operations, HR, and the relational side of running a practice.

There’s so much brilliance in this profession - and so much opportunity to better equip lawyers with the skills that help them build meaningful, well-run practices.

I’m looking forward to working more in this space. Grateful for the connections made and insights gained.

Thanks to Shoshannag Wagenberg and Reggie Waterman for hosting!