Reflections from Labcon 2025 in Montreal💭

Sharing Nuggets of Wisdom from a Meandering and Meaningful Career Journey

Two weeks ago, I was invited to share my reflections about my career journey during an incredible panel and fireside chat (without the fire 🔥) at Labcon 2025 . I was joined by other leaders with diverse experiences and careers in the medical laboratory sciences field. We were asked to come prepared with some nuggets of wisdom worth sharing with the younger generation spanning our career journeys to date.

It took some digging but after some pause and reflection, here are the key insights I shared during the discussion:

🌱 Advice to My Younger Self:

❓What advice would you give your 25-year-old self❓

“I’d tell her this: Don’t let perfectionism fool you into thinking it’s the same as excellence. You don’t need to have all the answers—what matters more is leading with your heart and making difficult but necessary decisions with integrity. Vulnerability is key. At 25, I thought leadership was about being an expert. Today, I know it’s about connecting deeply with people, leaning in with curiosity, and having the courage to say, ‘I don’t know, but I’m willing to figure it out—together.’ Some of the most transformative moments in my career came not from certainty, but from staying grounded during chaos, asking better questions, and choosing compassion over ego. Learn to lead yourself first. And trust that reinvention is not a detour—it’s part of the path. Or as I was reminded during my time at Royal Roads: trust the process.”

↩︎ Navigating Setbacks:

❓Tell us about a time you faced a Professional or Academic setback ❓

“A year and half ago, for the first time since I was 15, I found myself in an unfamiliar place. On the afternoon of Tuesday, November 7, 2023—a day that started like any other—I was informed that, due to a restructuring, my position was being made redundant. I wrote about the experience of receiving, processing, and overcoming that news in depth here.”

🎓 The Power of Lifelong Learning

❓What role has additional education played in your professional journey ❓

“Pursuing my MA in Leadership at Royal Roads was a turning point. It gave me the space to move from tactical execution to strategic, systems-level thinking. It deepened my understanding of how to lead through complexity—not with control, but with curiosity, reflection, and relational intelligence. And perhaps most importantly, it taught me to trust the process. That mindset has guided me through every major transformation I’ve led since.”

🤝 The Impact of Giving Back

❓What role has volunteering played in your journey ❓

“Volunteering has been my way of giving back to the profession that gave me my start. Serving on advisory committees at BCIT and SAIT has allowed me to help shape the future of medical laboratory education and stay closely connected to emerging talent. It reminded me that leadership isn’t just about what you do in your own role—it’s about how you uplift others and invest in the next generation.”

🌟Final Thought

“Leadership today isn’t about titles—it’s about how we show up. It’s how we navigate the messy, human side of change, how we make space for growth and discomfort, and how we lead with clarity, compassion, and courage. If my journey has taught me anything, it’s that meaningful impact is possible when we’re bold enough to be human—and brave enough to trust the process.”

Thank you to Labcon 2025 for creating this space to share, learn, and connect in such an authentic manner.

#Labcon2025 #LeadershipJourney #MedicalLaboratoryScience #CareerDevelopment #LifelongLearning