In this intimate fireside chat, we sit down with Dr. Candy Ho and her spouse and business partner, John Grant, to explore their deeply personal and thought-provoking journey of designing a life beyond traditional career expectations.

At age 43, John made the deliberate decision to retire from his higher-education teaching career - a milestone reached not through chance, but through more than a decade of intentional planning, disciplined real estate investing, shared learning, and a commitment to building a life aligned with purpose. Candy’s own career evolution, leadership in the field of career development, and role as a thought partner shaped the path they walked together.

Through a candid, reflective conversation, Candy and John will discuss:

• The real story behind John’s early retirement - and what it looked like behind the scenes

• How they jointly shaped a vision for work, purpose, and financial independence rooted in their “3-E Values”

• What it means to challenge traditional timelines and definitions of success

• The emotional and identity shifts that come with major career and life transitions

• How partnership, communication, and values guided their decisions

• Practical insights and lessons learned that career professionals can bring to their clients

This fireside chat is an opportunity to step inside a real-life example of intentional career design—one that blends purpose, financial literacy, reflection, and courage. Their story invites career development professionals to think differently about what a career can look like, how people can chart non-linear paths, and how we can help clients imagine futures that break the mould.

Honest, insightful, and deeply inspiring, this conversation is the perfect way to spark fresh thinking about the shifting landscapes of work and life.

Dr. Candy Ho (she/her), EDd, is an international award-winning career development educator and scholar whose expertise is recognized globally through keynotes, consulting, research, and sector leadership. Her insights have been featured in major media outlets including BNN Bloomberg, The Globe and Mail, Financial Post, National Post, Canadian Business, and CTV News. 

Candy serves as the Chancellor’s Chair at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, where she also teaches in the Educational Studies department, and contributes to the Career Development Practitioner Program at Douglas College. A former Chair of CERIC, she is widely regarded as one of Canada’s influential voices in career development, inspiring learners, educators, and practitioners to design meaningful, future-ready lives.

John Grant is an award-winning, values-driven real estate investor and educator who teaches individuals and families how to build financial independence through intentional, ethical investing. 

Before stepping into entrepreneurship, he spent 15 years in higher-education administration followed by five years as an instructor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and has also taught at SFU and the University of the Fraser Valley. 

Having designed a life of purpose and freedom through disciplined planning and reflection, John now empowers others—through workshops, community leadership, and transparent storytelling—to imagine career paths and futures that break the traditional mould.

SkilledTradesBC is the Crown agency responsible for shaping and supporting the apprenticeship and trades system in British Columbia. From setting high training standards to issuing credentials, supporting apprentices, funding programs, and promoting a wide array of meaningful careers, the organization plays a central role in building BC’s skilled workforce.

With more than 30,000 active apprentices across the province, the skilled trades offer countless pathways - to enter a trade, grow within it, and branch out into new professional possibilities.

In this session, you’ll gain a clear understanding of what apprenticeship truly is and how people can earn and learn simultaneously. You’ll also hear directly from tradespeople who have taken their careers further than they ever expected, often in directions you might not have considered. It’s an opportunity to broaden your perspective on the trades and explore how these pathways can transform careers and communities.

Tara Fong (she/her/hers) is Director, Trades Inclusion and Access at SkilledTradesBC. She joined in 2014 and is responsible for overseeing the Trades Inclusion & Access department. Her team works to advance inclusion and access to training and careers in the skilled trades, including the participation and retention of youth, women, Indigenous peoples, andequity deserving groups through innovative apprenticeship programs.  

Tara’s career includes extensive experience managing the delivery of career and employment programming services through a variety of roles, including senior leadership, program management, and front line services.

Imagine the power of letting go - releasing our assumptions about what success should look like, loosening our grip on outcomes, and allowing space for our clients’ own wisdom to lead the way. This is the art of surrender in career development: shifting from directing to partnering, from fixing to listening, from holding answers to holding space.

In this session, we explore what happens when helping begins to unintentionally hinder growth, and how adopting a posture of surrender can open new possibilities for both practitioners and clients. Through reflection, real examples, and practical insight, you’ll consider how stepping back can actually move the work forward. It’s an invitation to rethink support, trust the process, and honour the unfolding of each client’s unique journey.

Imagine the power of letting go - releasing our assumptions about what success should look like, loosening our grip on outcomes, and allowing space for our clients’ own wisdom to lead the way. This is the art of surrender in career development: shifting from directing to partnering, from fixing to listening, from holding answers to holding space.

In this session, we explore what happens when helping begins to unintentionally hinder growth, and how adopting a posture of surrender can open new possibilities for both practitioners and clients. Through reflection, real examples, and practical insight, you’ll consider how stepping back can actually move the work forward. It’s an invitation to rethink support, trust the process, and honour the unfolding of each client’s unique journey.

Herky Cutler is a leadership coach, organizational consultant, trainer, and author with more than three decades of experience helping individuals and organizations transform the way they work and lead. 

Known for blending creativity, humour, and practical insight, he has guided leaders, teams, and career-development professionals across sectors to build stronger cultures, navigate change, and unlock human potential. Herky’s work is driven by one purpose - to create possibilities for people and organizations to become extraordinary.