At its core, a skills audit is intended to make you feel good about yourself. It’s a list of all the incredible skills you have that make you…well, you.The most impactful part of a skills audit, however, is not so much what’s on your list, but how it gets interpreted and absorbed. With careful consideration and an eye to the bigger picture, you’ll be surprised by how the things you already know how to do can be used to help you do the things you think you can’t. It’s all a question of perspective, and being able to see the transferability of your skills is a skill in and of itself. It’s about getting out of your own way, and reintroducing yourself to all the things you have to offer. Or maybe it’s about seeing those things authentically for the very first time. Either way, once you learn how to get on board with yourself, you’ll be able to apply the same skills to all the other aspects of your life. And then you’ll go from stuck to unstoppable. www.theskillsaudit.ca

I created a socially-conscious handmade textile and home decor import business as a side project during my CGHR posting in India (see below). Many product lines were either fair or direct trade, which was a vital aspect of my business model. I developed the concept for this incredibly rewarding enterprise, and managed all logistical aspects of branding, purchasing, marketing, copy writing, inventory, accounting, shipping, merchandising, quality control, wholesale opportunities, and retail outlets, under often incredibly challenging circumstances. I also managed all aspects of HR and operations in both Canada and India, involving staffing, daily operations, year-end financials, customer service, strategic planning and sales forecasting. I am so proud of the excellent relationships I fostered with manufacturers and suppliers, many of which were cottage industries that provided livelihoods for impoverished rural women, and NFP initiatives across the sub-continent that supported women and children

Anmol Journeys was created as an enhancement to my importing work and as an additional vehicle to bring foreign funds to economically depressed regions. Before COVID struck, I led 30 people on bespoke, private tours of India, Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet, with the assistance of my Anmol Imports staff and international travel professionals. This kind of work has many, constantly changing responsibilities, including itinerary development and implementation, managing strong relationships, negotiating cultural sensitivities and practical and immediate problem solving. Additionally, I have consulted on and/or fully arranged itineraries for dozens of travellers. During these trips I was on call 24/7 to manage problems, negotiate experiences, resolve conflict and adapt to unplanned eventualities. I am Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO)-certified.

In my role as Chief Development Officer, my main responsibilities included designing various dynamic e-learning training programs for CGHR, and assisting in the development of the Count the Dead Network (CDN), with the goal of expanding the framework of the existing MDS into additional countries. I also took the lead on a variety of grants as well as working with the development team at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, to advance the mission and goals of CGHR.

CGHR was established in 2002 to conduct large-scale epidemiological studies in developing countries. CGHR is co-sponsored by St. Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto. The Million Death Study (MDS) is one of the largest studies of premature mortality in the world (www.cghr.org/mds).In this role, I oversaw the administrative aspects of the Million Death Study. Primarily, I was responsible for creating and implementing training platforms, as well as managing the physician coder team. Together we were responsible for recruiting, training and supporting 400+ physician coders and 800+ health surveyors across India. This also involved liaising with our MDS collaborators across the globe as well as senior staff at the Registrar General of India (RGI). In addition, I remained responsible for the various organizational and administrative responsibilities I first undertook as Project Manager.

The Million Death Study (MDS) is one of the largest studies of premature mortality in the world. The MDS is an ongoing study that is conducted in India, where, like most low- and middle-income countries, the majority of deaths occur at home and without medical attention. As a result, the majority of global deaths do not have a certified cause.In collaboration with the Registrar General of India, the MDS will monitor nearly 14 million people in 2.4 million nationally representative households in India between 1998-2014. Any deaths that occur in these households during this period will be assigned a probable cause, as determined by a method called verbal autopsy.The results for the leading causes of death in India will be provided to governments, research agencies, and media as they become available so that they can take action against preventable deaths.In this role, I was responsible for managing a number of projects involving both the Indian and Canadian branches of CGHR. Most notably, I developed and implemented self-directed e-learning programs for the Million Death Study physician coders (400+), as well as for the health surveyors collecting various data in the field (800+). I was also responsible for various other administrative and organizational projects, which were managed simultaneously to the training projects.

In this role, I was the team lead responsible for securing funding to support a multi-initiative, international program from a varied donor base that included governmental, corporate, community and individual prospects. I had a $3M fundraising target for 2010-2011, and I was actively involved in HKI program strategy creation and implementation, requiring on-going liaison with senior Foundation and Hospital stakeholders. During my tenure, I routinely interacted with international paediatric healthcare providers, NGOs, regulatory bodies, government organizations, various diplomatic corps and influential corporate and community leaders. Additionally, I efficiently managed HKI’s day-to-day operations, including providing comprehensive program knowledge and training to the Foundation and supervising the activities/performance of HKI’s Development Assistant.

During my time in Fundraising Operations, I effectively handled all aspects of fundraising operations, including: donor identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship (both domestically and abroad), events, inter/intra-department project management, internal/external information-sharing and communication strategies (i.e. marketing, public affairs, donor relations, digital campaigns, reporting, grant applications, Board/Plan materials), etc. I was principally responsible for raising $2.075M through donations and events, and I contributed to building long-term international partnerships, creating comprehensive training systems and developing educational models in an effort to improve the health outcomes of marginalized children globally.On a daily basis, I liaised with a full range of HKI donors, as well as Board members and volunteers, and had many successful collaborations with Hospital counterparts, to maintain and enhance existing programs involving international paediatric healthcare (for eg: travelling with a surgical outreach program to Ethiopia.) I was also proud to be an invited member of the inaugural SKF President’s Advisory Committee.

A SickKids Foundation initiative that supported the international programs of the Foundation and The Hospital. HKI’s initiatives (priorities include sub-Saharan Africa, India, South America and the Caribbean), were designed to deliver programs that address the global shortage of trained paediatric medical personnel, thereby elevating the level of children’s healthcare capacity worldwide.

Operating out of the University of Calgary, CESA is a non-profit interdisciplinary academic organization funded by government grants and devoted to the study of ethnicity, multiculturalism, immigration, inter-group relations and the cultural life of ethnic groups. I was responsible for the daily administration of the association, in addition to special projects, such as organizing retreats, meetings, and an international conference in Ottawa. I worked here all the while attending grad school, participating in a panel radio show on the CBC and selling my photography

The Homestretch is CBC Calgary’s afternoon radio drive-home show and has thousands of regular listeners. It features news, current affairs, and entertainment.Every fall publishers from all over the world descend on the media with new releases. Hosts are expected and required to read dozens of books in just a few short weeks. This segmentreplaced the typical interview with a panel of passionate readers from diverse backgrounds. Even the most reputedly challenging authors, including Margaret Atwood and Austin Clarke, enjoyed participating in these popular and entertaining discussions.