February 1, 2025 • 21 mins
This episode invites listeners to explore the transformative power of stepping away from routine through the inspiring journey of Charles Achampong. We discuss the evolving concept of adult gap years, the importance of emotional intelligence in balancing work and life, and how personal experiences shape our values and perspectives.
• Discussing the modern relevance of gap years
• Exploring the shift in work-life balance perspectives
• Historical insights on the origins of the gap year
• The significance of emotional intelligence (EQ) in the workplace
• The need for a balance between intelligence (IQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ)
• Insights into Charles’s corporate journey and personal growth
Charles Achampong
- Instagram: @aroundtheworldinfamilydays
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesachampong
- Website: https://www.charlesachampong.com
- Email: info@charlesachampong.com
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Voiceover (00:03):
Tales from the wild, stories from the heart.
A journey into the mind andsoul of fired up business
professionals, where they sharetheir vision for the future and
hear from a different non-profitorganization every month as
they create awareness of theirgoals and their needs.
Dive into a world of untamedpassion as we join our host,
(00:27):
Shireen Botha, for this month'sepisode of Friends from Wild
Places.
Shireen Botha (00:36):
All right, welcome back, Shireen.
Here I am your virtual boutiquebookkeeper and QuickBooks
advisor.
By outsourcing your bookkeepingservices, you'll save time,
reduce errors and free upvaluable resources to focus on
growing your business.
Don't miss on the opportunityto streamline financial
(00:59):
processes and improve yourbottom line.
Contact us today to learn moreabout how Shireen's Bookkeeping
Services can revolutionize yourbusiness.
If you want to know more, gocheck me out at www.
shireensbookkeeping.
com and allow me to keep yourbooks clean so you don't have to
(01:20):
Welcome back listeners.
You are listening to Friendsfrom Wild Places with myself,
Shireen, and my amazing co-host,Tanya Scotece.
Tanya, please go ahead and tellthe listeners a little bit
about our subscriptions.
Tanya Scotece (01:40):
Yes, so we have had our Friends from Wild Places
podcast on many differentplatforms and we feature monthly
guests and we had decided in2024 to do bonus content.
And bonus content is kind ofbehind the scenes, kind of some
diving deeper into subjects thatour listeners want, but it is a
(02:02):
paid subscription, but it'sless than a Starbucks cup of
coffee.
So for $5 a month you canactually subscribe and get the
bonus content and feel free toask us on anything that you
would like to hear more of.
So that's what's going on here,and back to you, shireen.
Shireen Botha (02:18):
Thank you so much , tanya, and sorry, listeners,
for the sound adjustment.
I just realized my mic wasn'tplugged in so I must definitely
sound a little bit differentright now.
It's only just because I've nowplugged my mic in, but let's
carry on.
So.
Thank you so much, tanya, forjust letting the listeners know
(02:39):
about that.
Let's get straight intointroducing our guest.
So Charles Achampong inspiresothers to embrace life's
unexpected pauses and reconnectwith what truly matters.
With over 20 years ofexperience across the public,
private and non-profit sectors,he transformed his perspective
(03:03):
through a life-changing journeyaround the world with his family
, an adventure chronicled in hisdebut book Around the World in
Family Days.
Part memoir, part guide, thebook weaves together humorous
moments and universal lessonsabout stepping away from routine
to embrace life's surprises.
(03:24):
Through his writing andspeaking, charles helps
individuals and familiesdiscover the transformative
power of pausing, a lessonlearned through his global
journey he shows usintentionally.
Stepping away from life'sconstant motion creates space
for deeper connections andauthentic living, replacing
(03:52):
future anxieties with presentmoment gratitude.
He lives in Toronto with hiswife and two kids, so welcome,
charles.
We're so happy to have you onthe show.
Charles Achampong (03:59):
Thank you so much, shireen, for having me,
and Tanya as well.
It's a pleasure to virtuallyconnect with all of your
listeners and to have me joinyour podcast.
Shireen Botha (04:09):
Yes, absolutely.
We're so excited to get intochatting with you, but I thought
you know a little bit of anicebreaker.
We normally have a short littlesegment in the beginning.
In the beginning normally iswith all the crime, um, you know
(04:29):
, with all the the latestcriminal cases that are ongoing.
But today we're going to do alittle bit something different.
So I'm very intrigued about thefact that you upped and took
your family around the world and, just, you know, left
everything behind, which is sointeresting, and you know what
it's not.
You're not the only one thatI've heard do that.
I have heard quite a few peopledoing that in later on in life,
(04:51):
which is quite interesting, um,so yeah, let's the topic of
discussion quickly for a fewminutes is just, we've noticed
how adults are more and moreoften taking gap years, and so
I'd love for us to just goaround the room and, you know,
discuss if you've actuallynoticed this change and if you
(05:16):
would be that person.
I know Tanya and I would bethat person.
I think I've done it a fewtimes already, as it is as a, a
youngster and even now, with mybusiness traveling all over the
place, that's.
You know always what I wantedto do.
But you know, tanya, what aboutyou?
Are you?
You know, have you heard adultsin their older stage in life
(05:39):
just leaving everything behindand taking a gap year?
And would you do that?
Tanya Scotece (05:43):
Yeah, so over the years and, charles, welcome I'm
super excited to have somein-depth conversation today with
you.
So in my history I read aboutpeople who, for example, left
the United States.
I'm based right outside ofMiami, so I've heard about
people like relocating, let'ssay, to Costa Rica, like I read
(06:04):
of a family that did that, but Ipersonally have never met
anybody that did that.
So I'm super excited for youknow, to hear about your journey
and your story.
For me, you know it's I justfeel like there's always some
quote unquote reason and maybeit's my own mind to stay rooted.
So my daughter's here inFlorida and Orlando, my mom is
here also, so I don't feel thatat this moment in time it would
(06:29):
be something for me to do.
However, I love to travel, sotraveling I caught the travel
bug.
So I just actually got backfrom India last week and super,
super trip.
I've never experienced anythinglike it.
So I do have the travel bug,but I want to hear about this
journey, charles, because maybeyou can inspire me to do it.
So maybe next time anybodylistens I'll be zooming in from
(06:51):
some random place.
Charles Achampong (06:54):
I love that.
I mean this notion of an adultgap year.
I think if we take a step back,like many of us are used to,
this model of the learn, earn,return model, right?
So you spend your first 20 orso years learning, the next 30
to 40 years earning and then the20 to 30 years you have left,
(07:14):
sort of returning or retiring,right.
And I think that old school waywas very simple you worked
until you know, worked your jobuntil retirement, and I think
more often than not over thelast 10 years, 15 years.
So people started realizing hey, why wait until I'm 65 to
actually live my life?
You know, I think COVID playeda huge wake-up call for many of
(07:38):
us, like lots of people werestuck at home thinking is this
really what I want to do for thenext 30 years?
And I think the other piece too,in relation to COVID as much as
, unfortunately, many peoplelost their lives piece too, in
relation to COVID, as much as,unfortunately, many people lost
their lives, you know there'squite a few people who were able
to figure out what they coulddo and derive benefit and value
from, you know, the time thatthey had all together in in one
(08:00):
small location or one place as aresult of COVID.
So you know people save money.
People realize you know theenjoyment that they had with
their family.
You got to know your familymembers a lot better.
In some cases you know that wasa bit of a challenge.
In other cases you know therewere opportunities there as well
.
I think working remotely showedeveryone that things can be done
(08:20):
differently too.
If you can work from anywhere,why not work from Thailand for a
bit or take six months off tolearn about a new language or
new skill?
And I think the other piece isthat burnout is.
Burnout is real, right, andmore people are admitting that
it's become almost much moresocialized and acceptable to say
that you're you're burnt outright.
(08:40):
And I think taking proper careand taking a proper break is not
seen as career limiting anymore, and so it's actually viewed as
sensible self-care, to actuallylook after yourself and to take
some time off for yourself.
I think the gig economy hashelped too.
You know you can pick upfreelance work and work to fund
your break or ease back in whenyou return.
(09:03):
So I think there's this growingfeeling that collecting
experiences and skills mightactually help you, make you much
more valuable work and not less.
So I think gone are the dayswhen a gap year in your resume
was sort of a you know careerlimiting for your career and
everything you know.
If you have an interestingstory to tell as a result of
your pause, then I think that'ssomething that you can also add
(09:25):
as value add compared to othercandidates or other individuals
looking for those sameopportunities.
So it's important for people torealize that you know the
origins of a gap year were wayback when, if anything, it was
sort of post sort of World WarII in the UK, and you know so
we've.
Europe has gone through asignificant hit as a result of
the World War II.
(09:46):
Many people have lost lives.
The social, physicalinfrastructure, mental
infrastructure of the world hasgone through a significant hit,
and so this concept of a gapyear in the UK was used to try
and get people to you know as away to be able to foster
relationships and connectionswith other parts of the world.
And so you know the UK beingpart of the head of the
Commonwealth in terms of anumber of countries that have
(10:08):
the Queen as their head of state, became much more popular in
Australia and New Zealand, byextension, here in Canada, as
much as we've been part of theCommonwealth, we're very
influenced by the US, so it'snow, I think, more recently
becoming much more of the normthan the exception.
But really the origins weresort of post-World War II, where
there was a sense that wewanted to get people to mix and
mingle and to exchange and learnmuch more about each other, and
(10:29):
so it's become much morepopularized now because it's
becoming more mainstream in manyways.
And this idea of it's not, youknow, you almost have to think
of not a gap year or a pause asa comma in a sentence.
It's not a full stop, it's notan exclamation mark, it's not
the end, it's a pause for you totake a step back, breathe,
(10:52):
relax, sort of think, andcontemplate before continuing on
, you know, with the rest ofyour sentence.
So I think that is, you know,the thinking around.
It has changed significantly.
I think that's the reason why,and for those reasons why we're,
you know, we're starting to seesuch a an increase in interest
in the idea of a adult gap yearright, Right, right.
Shireen Botha (11:09):
That's so interesting.
I love it.
I mean, if you're talking to me, I absolutely love the concept,
but instead of the gap year,I'm actually just living my
nomad life, but at the same timeI'm taking my work with me.
So again, you know, since thepandemic, as you said, things
have changed and I'm able to dothat, so I'm very grateful.
(11:34):
So let's move on to quote ofthe day.
Right, we love having our quotesof the day.
It's very important becausethere's some good ones out there
and it's always a great way tomotivate ourselves.
When we find something thatsticks to us, we always seem to
let it go over our heads in timeof need and it always seems to
(11:57):
help us out in really toughspots.
So today, the quote of the daycomes from Charles.
He didn't actually create thequote, but this is the quote
that he refers to when he needsit.
So the quote goes never confuseeducation with intelligence.
This is from Richard Feynman,American physicist.
(12:21):
So I would love to hear fromyou, Charles, why this specific
quote and what does it mean toyou?
Charles Achampong (12:30):
to hear from you, charles, why this specific
quote and what does it mean toyou?
Yeah, it's.
I have many quotes that Iappreciate and sort of ruminate
on, but this one really sort ofstands out for me because I
think we've all witnessedfirsthand, you know, sort of
this idea of being book smartversus being street smart, and
so, you know, it's almost as ifyou know, we've witnessed
firsthand in boardrooms, inclassrooms and in life, people
(12:52):
who are extremely, you know,people who have a wall full of
degrees but can't handle a basicsocial interaction, you know.
And so what makes this quote sopowerful for me is that it
reminds us that intelligencecomes in many different flavors.
It's a continuum, right.
So sure, some people can solvecomplex equations, but struggle
to read a room, right.
(13:13):
And so being able to recognizethat true intelligence isn't
about collecting gold, stars ordegrees and that you need to be
able to balance it out withbeing not only sort of having a
high IQ but also a high EQ andemotional quotient.
So I think there's a number ofpeople we come across, or at
least in UBC, you start to seenow that emotional quotient and
being able to have those softskills or being able to have
(13:33):
being able to read a room areskills that are becoming even
more in demand, in addition to,or that you have to complement
with, having the hard skills interms of being a subject matter
expert or a journalist in aparticular area, are agendalists
in a particular area.
So it's just something thatstands out to me because, if
anything, I saw on our recenttrip that, as much as you, there
are a number of people who sortof stood out for us in terms of
(13:57):
, you know, individuals who havecome back from a variety of
backgrounds, skill sets,expertise and experiences, and
it's amazing how intelligentthey are in terms of their
understanding of the worldaround them and current events
in history, without reallyhaving that formal education in
mind as well.
So it's one of my favoritequotes.
(14:17):
It's something that stands outto me and I think it's something
that I think we should keep inmind going forward.
That the world will be isreally for those who have a
strong EQ, who can complement itwith an IQ, and not either or.
Tanya Scotece (14:29):
I like that a lot .
Shireen Botha (14:33):
That's so true I mean no, it's just out of Just
talking about EQ and IQ.
I was, or am still today, morethe EQ kind of person.
You know, growing up, when Iwas in school, I was the sporty
one.
I wasn't getting.
I had to work really hard toget a good B, a solid B, you
(14:55):
know, on my scorecards, but whenI was doing sport I excelled
like it was nothing.
So over the years and my gapyear that I took when I was a
youngster, um, and you know mylife and my journey, um, you
know, my EQ is definitely, uh,I'm the EQ side of things,
(15:15):
definitely, right, yeah, tell me, what about you?
Are you the EQ or the RQ?
Tanya Scotece (15:20):
So I'd have to say 50-50, because I'm in
Connecticut and Italian-Irishbackground and academics was not
in my journey at that time.
So it wasn't until many yearslater that I tried academics and
was successful.
So I actually started myassociate's degree at the age of
(15:44):
35 years old with a single mom,with my daughter, and it was.
It was a journey, and at thattime, when I finally got the
hang of school, I liked it and Iexcelled.
So I went straight through frommy associates all the way
through my doctorate in one andwithout any break, like you know
, fall spring summer, fallspring summer.
(16:06):
So from 2003 to 2015,.
It was immersed.
However, with a big however.
I don't claim to sit in an ivorytower.
I did not have the degrees youknow earlier on.
So I feel like you know there'ssome people I mean rightfully
so.
I mean people go to school.
You pay the money you knowearlier on.
So I feel like you know there'ssome people I mean rightfully
so.
I mean people go to school.
You pay the money, you knowlike you earn it.
But there's also thepretentious folks out there.
(16:28):
You know we all know them and Ijust I do my best.
I'm not one of them.
I don't identify with an ivorytower.
I'm as real as real can be.
So I think my initial formativedefinitely was on the EQ.
So I think I'm balanced, Ithink I'm a 50-50.
And I can sit here and say youknow, there's many people that
don't have formal degrees andare, you know, it doesn't equate
(16:51):
.
It's just like if somebody hasthe desire for, maybe, a certain
job that requires a certaindegree, or is just compelled to
study, for example, my doctorateis actually in curriculum and
instruction, with an emphasis inadult education, so it's not a
medical doctor.
But you know somebody thatwants to practice medicine.
If they go the medical doctorroute, obviously there's
(17:12):
proficiency exams and manythings in that arena.
So when I sit back, you know, Ijust think the old expression
you can't judge a book by itscover is very true, because
people have skills that are noteven relatable to academia and
they can excel in thatrespective field and vice versa.
Charles Achampong (17:43):
Yeah, I might add.
I mean it's a great, thefurther you moved ahead in an
organization, that you wouldhave not only exceptional IQ but
you would have a strong EQ aswell.
But I was often very surprisedat individuals you'd come across
, whether you know those who arevery sort of public celebrities
.
Whatever you are, politiciansare politicians you know, or
even your colleagues and peersthat you work with, and you
(18:05):
would assume that that furtherup you were being rewarded for
having sort of that 50 50 split.
You know, being a strongsubject matter expert or being
able to work through people toget things done as a people
manager, but also being able towork through those people by
having a strong eq um and notthe command and control style.
And so I was often surprisedlike, wow, this person is quite
senior in the organization, butyou can tell, or there seems to
(18:27):
be a bit of a handicap or somecoaching that would be required
in terms of ensuring that theyhave a strong EQ, that they can
read a room.
You know, I think, of previousmanagers and you know from the
over my career where they arejust exceptionally smart
individuals in terms of beingable to.
You know from the over my career, where they are just
exceptionally smart individualsin terms of being able to, you
know, being able to distill verycomplex topics in a very simple
(18:47):
, easy to understand manner forthe lay person, but in terms of
knowing when to stop talkingbecause the others are, you know
, fiddling on their phones orlooking around or looking up, or
not being able to read thoseverbal cue or nonverbal cues or
verbal cues right, not beingable to kind of fill in the
blanks in those areas.
That's where I was like wow,I'm surprised they don't see
that or they haven't beenexposed enough to know that.
(19:07):
But we all have our strengthsand weaknesses, and so I was
often amazed or amused by thefact that, you know, it's
sometimes, in many cases, wehave either 50-50 or default to
one or the other, and I alwaysassume that, as you moved up in
your career or as you moved upin an organization, that people
would have an exceptionalability to do both.
But that's not always the case.
Shireen Botha (19:28):
Right, yeah, that's great.
Yeah, I think I loved yourquotes and it's so interesting
about the EQ and IQ and where onthat line do you find yourself?
Just in your upbringing and inyour adult life?
So quite interesting.
Thanks, charles.
So talk about you.
I want you to just tell thelisteners a little bit about who
(19:51):
you are and your background inthe corporate world before we
jump into the massive decisionthat you made.
Charles Achampong (19:59):
But please, yeah, sure, thank you, sheree.
So I think you touched on a fewthings earlier on in my bio, but
I've been working for just over20 years across public, private
, not-for-profit sectors, reallywith a focus on supporting
communities, and so you knowwhether it was orchestrating
parts of the Vancouver Olympics,where we hosted the Olympic
(20:22):
Games in 2010,.
To navigating the banking world,working for one of the big five
banks in Canada, withScotiabank on the philanthropy
side, so investing incommunities that way to working
on nonprofits, being able tohelp newcomers to Canada find
employment and to help integratethem into the local labor
market.
Here in Toronto, I've had avery rewarding and vast career,
(20:45):
my early days working with theUnited Nations as well, in
Uganda and East Africa.
I'm a proud dad to twodaughters and a husband to
Janice, who inspired really ourtrip around the world, but I
think that's my biggestachievement being a dad to two
fantastic daughters, 11 andeight, and being, at least, I
(21:08):
hope, a good husband to myspouse, janice, as well.
Yeah, and so that's really beenmy career, working in a variety
of those organizations, allwith a focus on being able to
demonstrate impact forcommunities that I've, I've
worked for and worked in.
Tanya Scotece (21:25):
Tune in next week for part two from Friends from
Wild Places.
Voiceover (21:31):
You've been listening to Friends from Wild Places
with Shireen Botha.
Be sure to subscribe to thepodcast from the links to catch
every episode and unleash yourpassion.
Tales from the wild, stories from the heart.
A journey into the mind andsoul of fired up business
professionals, where they sharetheir vision for the future and
hear from a different non-profitorganization every month as
they create awareness of theirgoals and their needs.
Dive into a world of untamedpassion as we join our host,
(00:27):
Shireen Botha, for this month'sepisode of Friends from Wild
Places.
Shireen Botha (00:36):
All right, welcome back, Shireen.
Here I am your virtual boutiquebookkeeper and QuickBooks
advisor.
By outsourcing your bookkeepingservices, you'll save time,
reduce errors and free upvaluable resources to focus on
growing your business.
Don't miss on the opportunityto streamline financial
(00:59):
processes and improve yourbottom line.
Contact us today to learn moreabout how Shireen's Bookkeeping
Services can revolutionize yourbusiness.
If you want to know more, gocheck me out at www.
shireensbookkeeping.
com and allow me to keep yourbooks clean so you don't have to
(01:20):
Welcome back listeners.
You are listening to Friendsfrom Wild Places with myself,
Shireen, and my amazing co-host,Tanya Scotece.
Tanya, please go ahead and tellthe listeners a little bit
about our subscriptions.
Tanya Scotece (01:40):
Yes, so we have had our Friends from Wild Places
podcast on many differentplatforms and we feature monthly
guests and we had decided in2024 to do bonus content.
And bonus content is kind ofbehind the scenes, kind of some
diving deeper into subjects thatour listeners want, but it is a
(02:02):
paid subscription, but it'sless than a Starbucks cup of
coffee.
So for $5 a month you canactually subscribe and get the
bonus content and feel free toask us on anything that you
would like to hear more of.
So that's what's going on here,and back to you, shireen.
Shireen Botha (02:18):
Thank you so much , tanya, and sorry, listeners,
for the sound adjustment.
I just realized my mic wasn'tplugged in so I must definitely
sound a little bit differentright now.
It's only just because I've nowplugged my mic in, but let's
carry on.
So.
Thank you so much, tanya, forjust letting the listeners know
(02:39):
about that.
Let's get straight intointroducing our guest.
So Charles Achampong inspiresothers to embrace life's
unexpected pauses and reconnectwith what truly matters.
With over 20 years ofexperience across the public,
private and non-profit sectors,he transformed his perspective
(03:03):
through a life-changing journeyaround the world with his family
, an adventure chronicled in hisdebut book Around the World in
Family Days.
Part memoir, part guide, thebook weaves together humorous
moments and universal lessonsabout stepping away from routine
to embrace life's surprises.
(03:24):
Through his writing andspeaking, charles helps
individuals and familiesdiscover the transformative
power of pausing, a lessonlearned through his global
journey he shows usintentionally.
Stepping away from life'sconstant motion creates space
for deeper connections andauthentic living, replacing
(03:52):
future anxieties with presentmoment gratitude.
He lives in Toronto with hiswife and two kids, so welcome,
charles.
We're so happy to have you onthe show.
Charles Achampong (03:59):
Thank you so much, shireen, for having me,
and Tanya as well.
It's a pleasure to virtuallyconnect with all of your
listeners and to have me joinyour podcast.
Shireen Botha (04:09):
Yes, absolutely.
We're so excited to get intochatting with you, but I thought
you know a little bit of anicebreaker.
We normally have a short littlesegment in the beginning.
In the beginning normally iswith all the crime, um, you know
(04:29):
, with all the the latestcriminal cases that are ongoing.
But today we're going to do alittle bit something different.
So I'm very intrigued about thefact that you upped and took
your family around the world and, just, you know, left
everything behind, which is sointeresting, and you know what
it's not.
You're not the only one thatI've heard do that.
I have heard quite a few peopledoing that in later on in life,
(04:51):
which is quite interesting, um,so yeah, let's the topic of
discussion quickly for a fewminutes is just, we've noticed
how adults are more and moreoften taking gap years, and so
I'd love for us to just goaround the room and, you know,
discuss if you've actuallynoticed this change and if you
(05:16):
would be that person.
I know Tanya and I would bethat person.
I think I've done it a fewtimes already, as it is as a, a
youngster and even now, with mybusiness traveling all over the
place, that's.
You know always what I wantedto do.
But you know, tanya, what aboutyou?
Are you?
You know, have you heard adultsin their older stage in life
(05:39):
just leaving everything behindand taking a gap year?
And would you do that?
Tanya Scotece (05:43):
Yeah, so over the years and, charles, welcome I'm
super excited to have somein-depth conversation today with
you.
So in my history I read aboutpeople who, for example, left
the United States.
I'm based right outside ofMiami, so I've heard about
people like relocating, let'ssay, to Costa Rica, like I read
(06:04):
of a family that did that, but Ipersonally have never met
anybody that did that.
So I'm super excited for youknow, to hear about your journey
and your story.
For me, you know it's I justfeel like there's always some
quote unquote reason and maybeit's my own mind to stay rooted.
So my daughter's here inFlorida and Orlando, my mom is
here also, so I don't feel thatat this moment in time it would
(06:29):
be something for me to do.
However, I love to travel, sotraveling I caught the travel
bug.
So I just actually got backfrom India last week and super,
super trip.
I've never experienced anythinglike it.
So I do have the travel bug,but I want to hear about this
journey, charles, because maybeyou can inspire me to do it.
So maybe next time anybodylistens I'll be zooming in from
(06:51):
some random place.
Charles Achampong (06:54):
I love that.
I mean this notion of an adultgap year.
I think if we take a step back,like many of us are used to,
this model of the learn, earn,return model, right?
So you spend your first 20 orso years learning, the next 30
to 40 years earning and then the20 to 30 years you have left,
(07:14):
sort of returning or retiring,right.
And I think that old school waywas very simple you worked
until you know, worked your jobuntil retirement, and I think
more often than not over thelast 10 years, 15 years.
So people started realizing hey, why wait until I'm 65 to
actually live my life?
You know, I think COVID playeda huge wake-up call for many of
(07:38):
us, like lots of people werestuck at home thinking is this
really what I want to do for thenext 30 years?
And I think the other piece too,in relation to COVID as much as
, unfortunately, many peoplelost their lives piece too, in
relation to COVID, as much as,unfortunately, many people lost
their lives, you know there'squite a few people who were able
to figure out what they coulddo and derive benefit and value
from, you know, the time thatthey had all together in in one
(08:00):
small location or one place as aresult of COVID.
So you know people save money.
People realize you know theenjoyment that they had with
their family.
You got to know your familymembers a lot better.
In some cases you know that wasa bit of a challenge.
In other cases you know therewere opportunities there as well
.
I think working remotely showedeveryone that things can be done
(08:20):
differently too.
If you can work from anywhere,why not work from Thailand for a
bit or take six months off tolearn about a new language or
new skill?
And I think the other piece isthat burnout is.
Burnout is real, right, andmore people are admitting that
it's become almost much moresocialized and acceptable to say
that you're you're burnt outright.
(08:40):
And I think taking proper careand taking a proper break is not
seen as career limiting anymore, and so it's actually viewed as
sensible self-care, to actuallylook after yourself and to take
some time off for yourself.
I think the gig economy hashelped too.
You know you can pick upfreelance work and work to fund
your break or ease back in whenyou return.
(09:03):
So I think there's this growingfeeling that collecting
experiences and skills mightactually help you, make you much
more valuable work and not less.
So I think gone are the dayswhen a gap year in your resume
was sort of a you know careerlimiting for your career and
everything you know.
If you have an interestingstory to tell as a result of
your pause, then I think that'ssomething that you can also add
(09:25):
as value add compared to othercandidates or other individuals
looking for those sameopportunities.
So it's important for people torealize that you know the
origins of a gap year were wayback when, if anything, it was
sort of post sort of World WarII in the UK, and you know so
we've.
Europe has gone through asignificant hit as a result of
the World War II.
(09:46):
Many people have lost lives.
The social, physicalinfrastructure, mental
infrastructure of the world hasgone through a significant hit,
and so this concept of a gapyear in the UK was used to try
and get people to you know as away to be able to foster
relationships and connectionswith other parts of the world.
And so you know the UK beingpart of the head of the
Commonwealth in terms of anumber of countries that have
(10:08):
the Queen as their head of state, became much more popular in
Australia and New Zealand, byextension, here in Canada, as
much as we've been part of theCommonwealth, we're very
influenced by the US, so it'snow, I think, more recently
becoming much more of the normthan the exception.
But really the origins weresort of post-World War II, where
there was a sense that wewanted to get people to mix and
mingle and to exchange and learnmuch more about each other, and
(10:29):
so it's become much morepopularized now because it's
becoming more mainstream in manyways.
And this idea of it's not, youknow, you almost have to think
of not a gap year or a pause asa comma in a sentence.
It's not a full stop, it's notan exclamation mark, it's not
the end, it's a pause for you totake a step back, breathe,
(10:52):
relax, sort of think, andcontemplate before continuing on
, you know, with the rest ofyour sentence.
So I think that is, you know,the thinking around.
It has changed significantly.
I think that's the reason why,and for those reasons why we're,
you know, we're starting to seesuch a an increase in interest
in the idea of a adult gap yearright, Right, right.
Shireen Botha (11:09):
That's so interesting.
I love it.
I mean, if you're talking to me, I absolutely love the concept,
but instead of the gap year,I'm actually just living my
nomad life, but at the same timeI'm taking my work with me.
So again, you know, since thepandemic, as you said, things
have changed and I'm able to dothat, so I'm very grateful.
(11:34):
So let's move on to quote ofthe day.
Right, we love having our quotesof the day.
It's very important becausethere's some good ones out there
and it's always a great way tomotivate ourselves.
When we find something thatsticks to us, we always seem to
let it go over our heads in timeof need and it always seems to
(11:57):
help us out in really toughspots.
So today, the quote of the daycomes from Charles.
He didn't actually create thequote, but this is the quote
that he refers to when he needsit.
So the quote goes never confuseeducation with intelligence.
This is from Richard Feynman,American physicist.
(12:21):
So I would love to hear fromyou, Charles, why this specific
quote and what does it mean toyou?
Charles Achampong (12:30):
to hear from you, charles, why this specific
quote and what does it mean toyou?
Yeah, it's.
I have many quotes that Iappreciate and sort of ruminate
on, but this one really sort ofstands out for me because I
think we've all witnessedfirsthand, you know, sort of
this idea of being book smartversus being street smart, and
so, you know, it's almost as ifyou know, we've witnessed
firsthand in boardrooms, inclassrooms and in life, people
(12:52):
who are extremely, you know,people who have a wall full of
degrees but can't handle a basicsocial interaction, you know.
And so what makes this quote sopowerful for me is that it
reminds us that intelligencecomes in many different flavors.
It's a continuum, right.
So sure, some people can solvecomplex equations, but struggle
to read a room, right.
(13:13):
And so being able to recognizethat true intelligence isn't
about collecting gold, stars ordegrees and that you need to be
able to balance it out withbeing not only sort of having a
high IQ but also a high EQ andemotional quotient.
So I think there's a number ofpeople we come across, or at
least in UBC, you start to seenow that emotional quotient and
being able to have those softskills or being able to have
(13:33):
being able to read a room areskills that are becoming even
more in demand, in addition to,or that you have to complement
with, having the hard skills interms of being a subject matter
expert or a journalist in aparticular area, are agendalists
in a particular area.
So it's just something thatstands out to me because, if
anything, I saw on our recenttrip that, as much as you, there
are a number of people who sortof stood out for us in terms of
(13:57):
, you know, individuals who havecome back from a variety of
backgrounds, skill sets,expertise and experiences, and
it's amazing how intelligentthey are in terms of their
understanding of the worldaround them and current events
in history, without reallyhaving that formal education in
mind as well.
So it's one of my favoritequotes.
(14:17):
It's something that stands outto me and I think it's something
that I think we should keep inmind going forward.
That the world will be isreally for those who have a
strong EQ, who can complement itwith an IQ, and not either or.
Tanya Scotece (14:29):
I like that a lot .
Shireen Botha (14:33):
That's so true I mean no, it's just out of Just
talking about EQ and IQ.
I was, or am still today, morethe EQ kind of person.
You know, growing up, when Iwas in school, I was the sporty
one.
I wasn't getting.
I had to work really hard toget a good B, a solid B, you
(14:55):
know, on my scorecards, but whenI was doing sport I excelled
like it was nothing.
So over the years and my gapyear that I took when I was a
youngster, um, and you know mylife and my journey, um, you
know, my EQ is definitely, uh,I'm the EQ side of things,
(15:15):
definitely, right, yeah, tell me, what about you?
Are you the EQ or the RQ?
Tanya Scotece (15:20):
So I'd have to say 50-50, because I'm in
Connecticut and Italian-Irishbackground and academics was not
in my journey at that time.
So it wasn't until many yearslater that I tried academics and
was successful.
So I actually started myassociate's degree at the age of
(15:44):
35 years old with a single mom,with my daughter, and it was.
It was a journey, and at thattime, when I finally got the
hang of school, I liked it and Iexcelled.
So I went straight through frommy associates all the way
through my doctorate in one andwithout any break, like you know
, fall spring summer, fallspring summer.
(16:06):
So from 2003 to 2015,.
It was immersed.
However, with a big however.
I don't claim to sit in an ivorytower.
I did not have the degrees youknow earlier on.
So I feel like you know there'ssome people I mean rightfully
so.
I mean people go to school.
You pay the money you knowearlier on.
So I feel like you know there'ssome people I mean rightfully
so.
I mean people go to school.
You pay the money, you knowlike you earn it.
But there's also thepretentious folks out there.
(16:28):
You know we all know them and Ijust I do my best.
I'm not one of them.
I don't identify with an ivorytower.
I'm as real as real can be.
So I think my initial formativedefinitely was on the EQ.
So I think I'm balanced, Ithink I'm a 50-50.
And I can sit here and say youknow, there's many people that
don't have formal degrees andare, you know, it doesn't equate
(16:51):
.
It's just like if somebody hasthe desire for, maybe, a certain
job that requires a certaindegree, or is just compelled to
study, for example, my doctorateis actually in curriculum and
instruction, with an emphasis inadult education, so it's not a
medical doctor.
But you know somebody thatwants to practice medicine.
If they go the medical doctorroute, obviously there's
(17:12):
proficiency exams and manythings in that arena.
So when I sit back, you know, Ijust think the old expression
you can't judge a book by itscover is very true, because
people have skills that are noteven relatable to academia and
they can excel in thatrespective field and vice versa.
Charles Achampong (17:43):
Yeah, I might add.
I mean it's a great, thefurther you moved ahead in an
organization, that you wouldhave not only exceptional IQ but
you would have a strong EQ aswell.
But I was often very surprisedat individuals you'd come across
, whether you know those who arevery sort of public celebrities
.
Whatever you are, politiciansare politicians you know, or
even your colleagues and peersthat you work with, and you
(18:05):
would assume that that furtherup you were being rewarded for
having sort of that 50 50 split.
You know, being a strongsubject matter expert or being
able to work through people toget things done as a people
manager, but also being able towork through those people by
having a strong eq um and notthe command and control style.
And so I was often surprisedlike, wow, this person is quite
senior in the organization, butyou can tell, or there seems to
(18:27):
be a bit of a handicap or somecoaching that would be required
in terms of ensuring that theyhave a strong EQ, that they can
read a room.
You know, I think, of previousmanagers and you know from the
over my career where they arejust exceptionally smart
individuals in terms of beingable to.
You know from the over my career, where they are just
exceptionally smart individualsin terms of being able to, you
know, being able to distill verycomplex topics in a very simple
(18:47):
, easy to understand manner forthe lay person, but in terms of
knowing when to stop talkingbecause the others are, you know
, fiddling on their phones orlooking around or looking up, or
not being able to read thoseverbal cue or nonverbal cues or
verbal cues right, not beingable to kind of fill in the
blanks in those areas.
That's where I was like wow,I'm surprised they don't see
that or they haven't beenexposed enough to know that.
(19:07):
But we all have our strengthsand weaknesses, and so I was
often amazed or amused by thefact that, you know, it's
sometimes, in many cases, wehave either 50-50 or default to
one or the other, and I alwaysassume that, as you moved up in
your career or as you moved upin an organization, that people
would have an exceptionalability to do both.
But that's not always the case.
Shireen Botha (19:28):
Right, yeah, that's great.
Yeah, I think I loved yourquotes and it's so interesting
about the EQ and IQ and where onthat line do you find yourself?
Just in your upbringing and inyour adult life?
So quite interesting.
Thanks, charles.
So talk about you.
I want you to just tell thelisteners a little bit about who
(19:51):
you are and your background inthe corporate world before we
jump into the massive decisionthat you made.
Charles Achampong (19:59):
But please, yeah, sure, thank you, sheree.
So I think you touched on a fewthings earlier on in my bio, but
I've been working for just over20 years across public, private
, not-for-profit sectors, reallywith a focus on supporting
communities, and so you knowwhether it was orchestrating
parts of the Vancouver Olympics,where we hosted the Olympic
(20:22):
Games in 2010,.
To navigating the banking world,working for one of the big five
banks in Canada, withScotiabank on the philanthropy
side, so investing incommunities that way to working
on nonprofits, being able tohelp newcomers to Canada find
employment and to help integratethem into the local labor
market.
Here in Toronto, I've had avery rewarding and vast career,
(20:45):
my early days working with theUnited Nations as well, in
Uganda and East Africa.
I'm a proud dad to twodaughters and a husband to
Janice, who inspired really ourtrip around the world, but I
think that's my biggestachievement being a dad to two
fantastic daughters, 11 andeight, and being, at least, I
(21:08):
hope, a good husband to myspouse, janice, as well.
Yeah, and so that's really beenmy career, working in a variety
of those organizations, allwith a focus on being able to
demonstrate impact forcommunities that I've, I've
worked for and worked in.
Tanya Scotece (21:25):
Tune in next week for part two from Friends from
Wild Places.
Voiceover (21:31):
You've been listening to Friends from Wild Places
with Shireen Botha.
Be sure to subscribe to thepodcast from the links to catch
every episode and unleash yourpassion.
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