With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1365499
W I N N E R PAIGE CEY F O U N D E R , P I C K H E R B R A I N P O D C A S T LIKE ANY UNIVERSITY student, Paige Cey found her life thrown into uncertainty by the COVID-19 pandemic. But Cey, a UVic commerce student who was handling a few marketing gigs, saw the virus as something of an opportunity. "I realized I could talk to people I would never be able to talk to pre-pandemic, with free time and lots of people moving online only with work and taking Zoom calls," says the 21-year-old Saskatchewan native. So she started a podcast called Pick Her Brain in which she virtually interviews women in business. So far, Cey has done more than 35 episodes with guests ranging from high-powered CEOs to New York Times bestselling authors. Pick Her Brain, which has appeared on the top charts in 25 countries, has garnered some 10,000 downloads since she launched it last June. The podcast features a wealth of B.C. content (BCBusiness 30 Under 30 winners Katherine Backman, Karen Lee, Ainsley Rose and Ania Wysocka, for instance), but Emmy-nominated producer Madison Williams is her favourite subject so far. "It was my second interview, and it was the first podcast in- terview she'd ever done," Cey recalls. "It was a fun experience— she kind of created her own role and is just super scrappy. I don't work in TV production, nor do I think I ever will, but her advice was great, and she had some amazing stories." As for what she does think she'll do, Cey is double special- izing in service management and entrepreneurship, with an eye on pursuing the latter. "The podcast re-instilled how passion- ate I am about entrepreneurship, and I've learned that there's no mould—everyone approaches it differently. If it's something you're passionate about, there's no one size fits all." W I N N E R DIAMOND ISINGER P R O V I N C I A L C O M M I S - S I O N E R , B . C . C O U N C I L , G I R L G U I D E S O F C A N A D A DIAMOND ISINGER SAYS the "linear path of ticking boxes isn't really a thing anymore," and just by looking at her career trajectory, it's hard not to believe her. Case in point: Burnaby-raised Isinger is com- pleting her master's in public policy at SFU after spending a few years working on Canada- U.S. relations in the Office of the Prime Minister. She's also provincial com- missioner for Girl Guides of Canada and has worked as an advocacy consultant for orga- nizations like the BC Council of Forest Industries and the Trial Lawyers Association of BC. So even after spending time in the highest office in the country, it seems like she's just getting started in her career journey. Asked where she sees herself five or 10 years down the line, Isinger responds with another question. "Do I know what specific role or title I'll have? No, not particularly. But I definitely think my role will continue to involve advo- cacy," she says. "It might sound a bit cheesy, but I do actually care about making a difference, like working with mission- oriented organizations and helping people achieve policy- related outcomes," Isinger adds. "I'm not someone to get super jazzed up by selling a specific product or something like that. I'm into helping people achieve their objec- tives and engage with people, build their relationships." Although Isinger doesn't take the bait when questioned about relations with the U.S. during Donald Trump's tenure, she observes that "the jobs I've held so far in my career, I could not have anticipated in years prior where things would end up. I like to have a plan and goals, but I find the most exciting things I've had the chance to do have been the things that I seized where an opportunity came up." MAY 2021 BCBUSINESS 27 RISING STARS