David Bradshaw on being the only one in the room

Please forward this to ONE Canadian immigrant today and tell them to subscribe here.

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David Bradshaw is President of the Calgary Black Chambers and a respected executive, advisor, and thought leader with more than 25 years of experience in customer experience, sales, and operations leadership. His career spans financial services, telecommunications, and outsourcing, where he has led large-scale transformations that delivered award-winning results.

A former executive at ATB Financial and ING Direct (now Tangerine Bank), David helped build service organizations recognized as #1 in Canada by J.D. Power and as Best Contact Centre in the World. He is Co-founder of BradshawBolton, a boutique customer experience firm, and serves as a Strategic Advisor to the Realizing Your Potential Association.

Known for his practical insights and engaging storytelling, David speaks on leadership, inclusion, customer experience, and building cultures where people and performance thrive.

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What’s your newcomer archetype?

Heritage Guardian? Starter? Community Anchor? No idea what those even MEAN? ( And yes, you can be more than one, cmon, we’re immigrants)

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What’s your newcomer archetype???

Chapters

0:00 You're not alone in facing these issues
0:54 Intro
2:49 Cleaning arenas and learning what invisible feels like
7:28 Getting fired from co-op over ten cents
13:21 Adapting without twisting yourself into a pretzel
18:57 Leading as the only Black person in the room
23:50 Nice is not the same as kind
30:57 How newcomers break into Calgary's tight networks
37:06 Building something that outlasts you
56:23 The community he wishes he had
1:02:56 Know your worth and speak up
1:06:59 Outro

Takeaways

Performing because you want to fit in is exhausting. And while I agree there are many reasons why we immigrants do so, please scram once you can. Because it shows in the work and in all you do. Plus, you probably end up burnt out. I mean, I am all for adapting and integrating. But it shouldn't come at such a cost.
Most of us arrive in Canada and take a job that has nothing to do with who we were — the late-night security shifts, the warehouse floor, or the overnight shelf-stocking role. We tell ourselves all this is temporary, and it often is. But no one preps you for the mental burden it comes with, and all the times you have to question your idea of who you thought you were and who you are in the moment. If that's you right now, remember, you're in a moment in time, and that moment isn't you.