Client
Vanessa Padillo, CPA, CMA, and partner for a successful boutique wealth management firm. In 2022, Vanessa was nominated as one of CBC Calgary’s Asian Changemakers, prompting a written reflection of her experience as a visible minority in a predominantly Caucasian corporate landscape.
Notable Skills Used
Content Writing, Blog Articles, Interviews
Project & Objectives
This 1000-word profile article recognizes Vanessa’s arduous corporate journey as a visible minority while honouring the humility and cheerful optimism that contributes to her ongoing success.
Reflection
Interviewing Vanessa was an eye-opener exercise in adapting on the fly. My original plan was to ask questions that I initially thought justified her nomination – highlighting her accomplishments and what sets her apart from the rest. And while you still get a bit of that, the true charm of Vanessa is her humility and selflessness on a day-to-day basis.
It was apparent early on that talking about herself was a challenging task, so I changed course in that moment and leaned into Vanessa’s selfless nature. We talked about her dance background and how that parlayed into her finance career, and then we focused on her Filipino heritage.
The energy of the interview shifted. Vanessa spoke freely and naturally. I was able to articulate her thoughts in her own words (with a little editing on my part) and still capture why she should be one of CBC Calgary’s Asian Changemakers. We concluded the article with guiding wisdom – that it’s not about where you came from, ethnically or socioeconomically, but how you flip adversity into the building blocks toward success.
“Marc has an awareness that goes above and beyond writing. He was able to capture my essence in a way that I could not articulate on my own. I highly recommend Marc for your next writing project!”
Vanessa Padillo
CPA, CMA – Executive Account Director
Results
This article submission sealed the deal and led to her becoming one of CBC Calgary’s Asian Changemakers in 2022! This article is currently published on the CBC website and physically framed in her office. I’m very proud of this article and of Vanessa herself for such an eye-opening interview experience.
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