I started at PATH part-time conducting surveys with customers in Quebec and cobbled together a patchwork of other odd jobs related to my foreign-language degree in an attempt to eke value out of my collegiate investment. 

After about a year and a half, the Research Studio Manager position became available and we, the survey staff, were advised that PATH preferred to hire from within. At my previous jobs, it was apparent that anyone and everyone was replaceable, and breaking into management was virtually impossible; few people stuck around long enough to advance and those who did, were too integral to the day-to-day grind to promote. 

Needless to say, I put my name in the hat for the Research Studio Manager position and was selected. I had never managed a team and I didn’t know what kind of manager I wanted to be, but I knew I wanted to lead from a point of positivity and encouragement. PATH’s leadership team encouraged my approach as it aligned with their own values, and they gave me the space to be myself and mature into the position. 

Empowered employees create positive customer experiences; happy customers are loyal customers; loyal customers tell others about their experience, and when new customers also have great experiences over time, they perpetuate that cycle. In the end, People Are The “How”. The model we present to our clients for growth is the same one we use ourselves. 

As our team grows, we have found there are a lot of people who have had negative previous employment experiences, and like myself, they carry that baggage with them. However, through PATH’s leadership and investment in me as a manager, I now feel part of the change I have wanted to see in the workplace. We have cultivated an empowered, hardworking, dedicated, and passionate team that provides an unparalleled survey experience for our clients and their customers.

They have even attracted new clients for PATH in the course of conducting surveys for our clients, perpetuating the business model that PATH uses and recommends to our clients. It has been a pleasure being part of such an innovative company.