ABOUT CHAR
As an Artist & Creative Professional, I know firsthand how non-traditional careers and businesses unfold. My own career path has been filled with transitions, and it’s been anything but linear. It's constantly changing & is as colourful as my hair has been.
I also understand how traditional career and business advice often misses the mark when it comes to the unique challenges and needs we creatives face. Many providers just don’t know how to work with us—how our brains work, how we juggle countless ideas, and how we often want to explore it all.
I get it because I am you in many ways.
That’s why I created SmART Career Solutions: to place more emphasis on ART when designing career solutions. My experience combines personal and professional perspectives, from artist to career counselor to business advisor. The result? Life-changing insights and strategies.
Sure, you could "DIY" the process, but I believe suffering is optional.
Too many artists and creative professionals get pushed into a box when it comes to career transition, and traditional methods don’t always work. I want to serve you in the way I would have appreciated - open, straightforward, NO BS, and without all the fuss & frustration.
Just tangible systems and customized solutions that actually work.
It’s not too much to ask.
With over 10 years as a Certified Career Counsellor and Job Search Coach, I’ve helped thousands of professionals navigate career transitions. My experience includes:
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Hundreds of mock interviews
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Over 4000 resumes and cover letters written
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1500+ workshops (5000+ hours) facilitated
More importantly, I’ve:
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Held hope for clients when they couldn’t
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Built confidence and self-esteem
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Eased the job search frustration
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Taught the most sceptical tricks they didn't know
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Held clients to highest standards
As a serial entrepreneur, I’ve built four small businesses, leveraging my creativity.
I hold diplomas in Fine Arts and Interior Design, and after transitioning careers, became a Certified Peer Counsellor and ICF-trained Professional Coach.
As a Facilitator for the BC Alliance for Arts & Culture, I helped creatives find career solutions.
Now, as a Business Advisor with the YMCA Self-Employment Program, my artistic background makes me the perfect fit to support the unique needs of our creative entrepreneurs.
CREDENTIALS
I am a CREATIVE, shaped by a childhood where I didn’t fit in. Raised by a single mother but still influenced by my creative father, a taxidermist. I struggled with low self-confidence and my identity.
As a teen, I craved freedom, rebelled against the norm and was often lost in my imagination, overwhelmed by too many ideas. I didn’t learn the way others did, so I sought out teachers who understood me. I’m allergic to the box - like many creatives. My education was focused on honing my creative skills, and I found immediate connection with other creatives.
I’ve never wanted to choose just one path. I thrive on variety, but am never torn between creative and practical pursuits. Instead, I combine them. Art is my happy place, my way of coping with stress, and the foundation of my self-esteem.
For over 30 years, I’ve earned from my creativity in many forms - sometimes as an employee, other times self-employed, &/or a mix of both. I’m most satisfied & productive when I’m creating.
Creativity is my passion & contribution to the world.
Perhaps it's yours too. We should chat.