Yvonne on Career Pivots, Working Smart, and Why Success Isn’t Always Linear

In this episode of Flashback Files, I sit down with Yvonne N to talk about career decisions, identity, confidence, and what it means to grow beyond the path you originally imagined for yourself.Yvonne shares her journey from studying engineering at McMaster University, to starting her career at Imperial Oil, to eventually moving into business leadership roles at Canadian Tire. Along the way, she reflects on having multiple job offers out of university, learning the hard way that you can’t do everything, and realizing that success often comes from knowing what matters most — not trying to master every detail.This conversation touches on some of the biggest questions young professionals face: how to make career decisions when you don’t have all the information, how to build meaningful relationships at work, and how your identity can evolve without losing the parts of yourself that still matter.Yvonne also opens up about the lessons she wishes she learned earlier — including the long-term value of competitive sports, resilience, and understanding that the smartest person in the room doesn’t always win.If you’re a student, recent grad, or young professional trying to figure out your next step, this conversation is a reminder that your path doesn’t need to be perfect — but it does need to keep evolving.