Ideas Into Action

 Astawa Alam is a great exhilarator of one of Canada’s youngest and fastest-growing cities, Brampton. As an Innovation & Technology Coordinator with the city’s Economic Development Office, he’s working tirelessly to raise the burgeoning city’s profile and awareness. And who better to tell its story than a proud, social media savvy digital native? As the Co-Founder & Lead Marketing Consultant of DxM Creative, this young entrepreneur has helped dozens of forward-thinking brands to build their brands.  In this episode we talked about combating stereotypes, investing in communities, building legacies, role models, sleep habits, caffeine regulation, and so much more. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hamzakhan/support

At 25 years old, George Khalife became the Director of Business Development for Sampford Advisors - Canada’s #1 mid-market Tech M&A firm. Prior to this, George was leading the sales efforts for the Toronto Stock Exchange in Toronto/Waterloo & NYC. By day, George works with entrepreneurs. And by night, he becomes one himself—he's the Co-Founder & CEO at BookBack, as well as the host of Let’s Grab Coffee.  In this episode we talked about George's transition from the Middle East to Canada, unpacked some millennial stereotypes, reflected on failure, and exchanged pro-tips about nutrition and proper dieting.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hamzakhan/support

In 2016, I delivered my second TEDx talk, “The Burnout Gamble.” I’m grateful to TEDxUTSC for the opportunity to return to my alma mater as a speaker. It was surreal to stand on the opposite end of an auditorium that I had spent much of my undergraduate life seated in. The experience of producing this talk compelled me to further examine my relationship with stress, and served as a catalyst for the release of a titular book. Stress has been described by the World Health Organization as “The health epidemic of the 21st century.” Through the TEDxUTSC platform, I aimed to inspire audiences to become the most thriving, productive, and motivated versions of themselves; I aimed to help them burn bright, not out. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hamzakhan/support

In 2015, I delivered my first TEDxRyersonU talk. On stage within the breathtaking Design Exchange, I shared my views on why managing millennials and knowledge workers the way that we used to manage traditional factory workers can be disastrous. Speaking through my own experience of being managed (and alternatively as a manager) I made the case that the next generation must be lead instead of managed; they must be given the autonomy to complete their tasks, so that they can grow and reach their full potential. In describing my role as a “manager” I ultimately concluded that my approach to managing is to avoid it altogether. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hamzakhan/support

In years past, I've published these posts on my birthday. This year, there was an overabundance of lessons that didn’t stop (and haven’t stopped) revealing themselves to me. Sorry for the delay! This a snapshot of the wisdom I accumulated in the lead up to 30. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hamzakhan/support

[NARRATION] Scaling Impact: My Next Adventure --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hamzakhan/support