This profile of someone that has “made more monie” is about a single mom who came to Canada from Poland. I met her while I was managing a large condominium corporation in downtown Toronto, along with a smaller site. I was responsible for a shared facilities component as well, made up of several entities, including a commercial parking garage, OCAD University and a food court anchored by McDonald’s.
She sought out the smaller condominium corporation’s location to live as it provided convenience. Being within walking distance of grocery shops, drug stores, her banking branch and Queen Street West boutiques, not to mention its proximity to Grange Park, the ROM and the AGO. As such, it enabled her to indulge her passions for nature, culture, history and to provide exposure of it all to her little one.
As for the little one, she was soon to be turning seven, and for her upcoming birthday, her mom wanted to book the party room owned by the larger corporation situated on the same overall site. She wanted to host her daughter’s friends, as well as her own family and friends, serving them up some authentic Polish dishes, as to her, such relationships are paramount and these special occasions are perfect for bonding and strengthening those ties that bind.
She approached me with sincerity and transparency, acknowledging that as she was not a resident of the condominium that owned this facility, she was not eligible to use it. I let her know that, despite all things considered – my job being one of them – I was prepared to allow this special occasion as like her, I feel it is more important to be on the right side of history than it is to be on the right side of a condominium corporation, especially one that would defer to an arbitrary rule rather than do the right thing for a little girl and her mom.
This occasion was over a decade ago, and I’ve never forgotten her, her engaging personality or the intestinal fortitude she demonstrated then and does to this day in single-handedly raising her daughter.
In a now not-so-recent catch-up communique, Aleksandra updated me on how her life was going. It was very busy, as she had taken that determination she initially demonstrated all those years ago and applied it to her professional life as well. Combining her love of education with work, and knowing that it is as important to success as opportunity is, she enrolled in courses related to it, namely those that will see her being eligible for promotion in her field.
That “busyness” consisted of year-end filings, audits, a corporate law exam and any other number of tasks relating to her job and her responsibilities as a mother to a strong-willed teenager. She was looking forward to a calmer December then, which, despite the seasonal holiday bustle,was going to allow for some time off to focus on continuing education courses that would result in her gaining corporate chief compliance officer-related accreditations.
She is quick to let me know that serendipity had played a role in her upward trajectory; being in the right place and time, capitalizing on her networking efforts both inside and outside her financial-based industry. Those efforts paid off, resulting in a happenstance introduction to her current employer, who could not help but see her as an integral part of his financial team, even in what was a purely social environment.
Although having nowhere near a net worth that would allow her to rest on her achievements – yet – she was satisfied with her efforts so far, as they represented her doing her level best in playing the hand that life had dealt her. She had built a life that she and her daughter were enjoying, not because she had reached a certain bank account balance or a specific annual salary – those may come in time – but simply because she built it under the less-than-optimum circumstances she found herself in upon setting out in life.
Disclaimer: The information contained herein should not be construed or considered professional advice. Nonetheless, thanks for reading! If it resonates, there’s “plenty more where that came from” on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube ‘n’ Twitter.