50/52 Giuseppe Morcinelli

“I've always wanted to be an artist. As a kid, I would dream of drawing cartoons for a living. I remember being 4-years-old, sitting at my drafting table, drawing Mats Sundin with Much Music playing in the background. Not much has changed today. When I finish work, I'll spend hours at my desk drawing, or at my printing studio coating a screen, with The Strokes or a podcast playing in the background. It's kind of crazy to think about how much time I've spent making art and drawing in my lifetime. I love it…

The best feeling is when I can fully engage with my work and everything else fades away. It's not just about the act of drawing or creating; it starts from the moment I step into my studio, have a sip of coffee and start preparing my supplies. The satisfaction of making good work is my ultimate reward...and truly believe that the reward for good work is more work.”

49/52 Khalid Yassein

“Often when we tour we have what we as a band call ‘humbling experiences’, which are our less than glamorous moments that come with the reality of this job. It’s almost always after our highest highs, like an incredible big show or cool opportunity. The very next day we get whacked with something shitty - the bus breaks down and we have to hang out at a gas station for 6 hours, we play a radio/promo show for nobody, hotel has what looks like blood stains on the floor. It makes me think of a quote that goes something like, you’re never as high as you think you are, but you’re never as low. Nice to have that perspective, even if it’s forced upon you”

48/52 Izzy Fraser

“I moved back to Toronto in 2017; my dad had passed away and I was going through somewhat of a depression. My friend came and she said ‘pick a dance class, we’re getting out of the house’. It was dancehall; at the time, I had no idea what it was. We went and had so much fun so we kept going. But one class there was a substitute teacher. She said ‘Today, we’re not doing dancehall, we’re doing ‘Soca’

As soon as she put on the music there was some sort of immediate connection…everything is about love, and community, and acceptance…After class she said, If anyone wants to talk about what Carnival is and how to get involved in the parade, come see me. So, I did.

So that year, I bought a costume, and ended up pretty much going alone. It’s weird going alone, not knowing anybody, but if you know your ‘why’, you can still find your purpose and sense of belonging. For me it’s the fact that this music has been able to pull me out of dark places over and over and over again and it’s helped push me outside my comfort zone… I feel like if it can do that for me, I also want to give back… I’m trying to understand a culture that I’m not a part of, but I want to help out, and give back in whatever way I can.”

47/52 Martina Bosede

“I was back home in Ireland recently, and I got a little bit bored. I think because I just lived there for so long. I lived in London for so long and you just get to know everything, and sometimes when you go back, things don’t really change... Over here, it’s a new challenge. It’s exciting and there’s always things going on.

I’m here having a great life in Toronto, I broadcast alot of it on Instagram, and so I get so many DMS from like people from Ireland or from England and they’re like, ‘Martina, you look like you’re having a blast out there’ and I genuinely am! You know, it’s ups and downs and everything, but it’s a new challenge. All my friends, they all want to come here and experience Toronto as they see my journey. I am having fun obviously, I didn’t know Toronto was so cool and neither did they, so they kind of see it through my lens at the moment. I don’t think it’s, it’s a place that I can get bored of.”

46/52 Kate Cornick

“Sometimes I think we get stuck on feeling like we’re not where we’re supposed to be by a certain age.

My friend who has a two and a half year old came to visit me recently. I moved into a condo on my own a couple months ago. And she did a lap of my place and said, “I want your life!” Every time we get together, she wants to go out, she wants to do stuff in the city. It’s kind of an important reminder that, where you're at right now is someone else's daydream. Where you’re at now is totally okay. Comparison is a thief of joy, right?

That is something that I've just been drilling into myself. When you turn 30, you could be faced with not having a life partner, not being anywhere close to having kids, and you have to truly believe you are where you're supposed to be and that everything will figure itself out.

You know, I can fucking write up a million fridge magnets with all the little mantras I tell myself. What's meant for you will never miss you. You are exactly where you're meant to be.

What is it even to feel your age anymore?”

45/52 Raj Dhillon

“I'm on a mission to empower women, challenge stereotypes, and spread knowledge through Whisky Angels. It started as my passion project, a place where women could dive into the world of scotch without any preconceived notions. I wanted to create a space where questions were not just welcomed but celebrated... curiosity thrived and the joy of learning & laughter was truly infectious.

So, the other day, during a corporate tasting event, I casually dropped a question on some of the guests: 'Do you know what makes whisky this colour?' ... You may not believe it, but quite a few of the self-proclaimed whisky connoisseurs that came to see me didn't have this answer. It was a special moment that reminded me how important it is for all of us to let go of assumptions and encourage genuine exploration.

I want to create a world where understanding and visibility take center stage. I'm on a journey to shatter stereotypes and create a community that values understanding & connection!”

44/52 Shereen Ladha

“There was a performance of a Telugu song from RRR at the Oscars last year that caused a lot of controversy. The dance style is a very specific style, but they hired two brown-passing people to be the two leads.
Everybody in that performance is obviously a really good dancer, like, they're technically amazing. They're incredible. But when it comes to that style, you can tell that they probably have no idea what any of it means, and there's nuances and movements and gestures, things that you do with your face and body (nakhre and maast) that just weren't present in it at all because that comes with the culture. Specificity matters and they should have made an effort to cast dancers that were part of that culture. It was so disappointing. It feels like whenever we do get get a small win like a South Asian song being showcased at the Oscars, it never feels like a real win.

Nobody's saying that you can't tell these stories, just don't exclude the people who it affects and who it's about.

There's an opportunity to help marginalized communities tell their stories and showcase their culture. That to me is lifting people up. Using what you have access to and what's in your power to do something good for a community.”

43/52 Jay Hunter

“There's been a long time I've been doing comedy, and the only way I can describe it is being safe… not pushing the envelope too much, being likeable, talking to people, networking, all these things. I write something and they're laughing. It worked. Right?
But where where am I in those jokes? Where am I in these stories? Where where am I located? I’m just somewhere back here being the author. But how about the author, just come out and talk?

A lot of comedians that are a lot funnier than me are saying stuff like, ‘Hey, man, how come that dude that we're having these conversations with, laughing, having a good time with, how come he's not out on stage?’

You know, I take it on the chin, but after a while of hearing that, you eventually have to start doing it. You got to be you out there.

The other day, I did it. I was just terrified of it for all… It felt so good. I can now start talking from places of, “Oh, I think this is funny, and here's why”. It's just all kind of coming together…its like arriving.”

42/52 Christian Alaimo

“I think about death a lot. I have for as long as I can remember. I think it's because one of my first real memories is my Nonno passing away. As far as my memory is concerned, that's when my life started.

For a long time, I've struggled with my own mortality and the impermanence of everything. When I was younger, this used to feel dark and heavy. But in recent years, that's started to change. I've learned that the end of things gives them meaning. That impermanence isn't dark. It's light.

Everything passes, good and bad. One day, I won't be able to feel anything because I won't be here. So I'm trying to get better at letting myself feel it all and appreciate everything as part of life, especially the hard stuff. I've learned that if I'm willing to face the challenging emotions and peel back far enough, I almost always find beauty at the heart of it: something to be grateful for. Feeling in itself, whether sadness or joy, is beautiful to me. One of my favorite lines from Marcus Aurelius:

"Think of the life you have lived until now as over and, as a dead man, see what's left as a bonus and live it according to Nature. Love the hand that fate deals you and play it as your own, for what could be more fitting?"

Reflecting on this has helped me give myself permission to feel deeply and search for gratitude in every experience.

Thinking about death is a powerful reminder to love deeply and express it to others. I have so much love for the people in my life: my family, my friends, and the people I have the pleasure of building Caribou with. As I get older, I'm just trying to get better at expressing my love, finding gratitude, and appreciating the moment since it's the only place I'll ever be.”

41/52 Leandro Calado

“What inspired the move to Canada? I always had this thing where I wanted to live abroad and… that's the part that is complicated, because I never understood why.

Like, what pushed me to do that? I’ve spent many years of therapy, just talking about that, trying to figure out if I was pursuing freedom, being a queer man in Brazil, raised Catholic. I feel like the most recent thing that made me move here was, Brazil was on this spike of fascism and right wing politics with Bolsonaro. It just became a place of uncertain safety for me.
I don't know if that was part of it, but I always liked English. I taught myself English when I was a very young age.

I discovered Britney Spears and I loved her. I would just listen to her songs and look for the translation. And then Whitney Houston, or Celine Dion, and then there would be TV shows that wouldn't air in Brazil, like America's Next Top model or Survivor.
So I would download them illegally and then just watch them with no subtitles. So I had to force myself to understand what they say.

It's been Six years in Toronto now. I feel like I have freedom and safety and I really think I found myself here. I love this city.”

40/52 Nat Manuel

“For risk of sounding like a stereotypical actor, I was a fuckin weird kid… I was really sick most of my life, off and on. I just had a lot of issues from being born extremely prematurely, so I had a very medicalized childhood… I escaped a lot into stories. I was a very quiet child, and I read voraciously. There was just something about the escapism of it, and that translated into movies.

I kind of fell into acting… I happened to go to a very small school that had an incredible drama department and they had a great improv program. I remember the first couple of days of grade nine: the sketch team was trying to get people to come up. I’m there with my like 50 facial piercings that I wasn't supposed to have, and my mohawk, and I'm looking around at all these girls who seem like really self-assured and self-confident and no one's putting their hand up to get up…. And I was like, Fuck it, I'll do it.

From there, that kind of translated into doing young people theatre at a theatre festival, where I got spotted by an agent and got to audition for some really cool stuff when I was younger

I took a 20 year break. Life got in the way, but just prior to the pandemic, I went…okay… I miss this… I miss this terribly. I just kind of learnt to shut that part of myself off for a very long time. You know, life was very intense. There was lots going on, and to think of creative pursuits at the time was not part of the landscape of my life. So yeah, I kind of fell back into it and I haven't looked back since.”

39/52 Cynthia Heyd

"As you get older in the business (film production), there’s a perception that you can’t keep up.
You need fresh ideas and new perspectives, but you also need experience to help guide. I think the most powerful teams you can put together have a combination of both.

Diversity and inclusion is a huge issue in all industries, and it’s a particularly big one in our industry. There are some great programs arising to help, whether that’s supporting the BIPOC community, females in leadership, the neurodiverse population, or the LGBTQ2S for example. But one group that doesn’t get the same crusade around it is Ageism. Given where I am in my career, I feel the ageism, but I don’t feel any older than I was 10 or 20 years ago!

For me, it’s about recognizing that there are voices coming from all these different places and every single one has merit and should be included."

38/52 Oshiokhai Enega

"I’ve always been a big dreamer, constantly reimagining my future. The caveat, I’m too hard on myself and sometimes I lose track of the progress I’m making towards those dreams.

Last year, in the midst of some chaos in my journey of life, I decided to stop complaining about the smallest things out of my control and shift my perspective to appreciating the smallest wins.

I’m writing my own book with each decision I make and goal I set. I want to enjoy this journey."

37/52 Sam Hillman

“Your set and setting matter. Sometimes you need to take a chance, see what happens. My mom was born in Rockland County, NY, then moved to Manhattan, then to Paris for two years, back to NY, then to Toronto. I always wanted to take a page out of her book and move around before I settle down… Feel like it's valuable to live somewhere else for even a little, just because I feel like it would be a disservice to myself if I just lived and settled in Toronto.

With Tabs it's very much a partnership and we've both found that the centre of our values venn diagram is optimizing for experiences as opposed to material goods. Hopefully no matter how much I make, I’ll never wear a Gucci belt, but I'm absolutely going to take trips, go out to eat and explore the world!

Part of what's driving our move from Toronto to Copenhagen is hopefully less gucci belts and more access to that wanderlust way of living.”

36/52 Bill Walker

“I get to be creative every day with kids who are really interested. There's always going to be that surprise element of what they bring into the classroom. And as much as you want to think, 'oh yeah, I teach you to know everything' -- No, we don't.

If you're open to it and you're willing to let the kids go and try something new, and take chances and take creative risks, you're always going to discover something. One of the most powerful performances that I'd ever seen was a grade ten student who had written an original monologue, and her character was dealing with body image issues. We were always sort of taught as actors, you have to face your audience, they have to see you... She stood with her back to us, looking into that mirror, which was perfect, but if you looked closely, what you could see was that she used a measuring tape for her belt… And it was so cool because she was constantly trying to tighten it while talking about anorexia and all these issues. It was shattering. You couldn't talk at the end of it because it was just so well-performed. It went up against all the conventions that we were ever brought up with as actors. That has stayed with me all these years. This is my 19th year here. I would never imagine I'd ever stay anywhere for 19 years, and I could have retired easily a couple of years ago, but the thing that keeps me going is what they bring into the classroom every day. They step in and you know something's going to happen.”

35/52 Megan Fixter

“One of my favourite questions to ask people is, ‘If you could live in any era, what would it be?’ Do you ever feel like you were born into the wrong time?

Sometimes I feel that my life isn’t how it’s supposed to be right now - relationships, skillsets, habits, knowledge, social experiences, culture, mindset. I often wonder if my expectations will be fulfilled within this lifetime. I’ve accomplished a lot and I am content in many ways but sometimes the life I’ve imagined feels far away. Those who know me would say I’m very hard on myself, but I don’t see it that way. Mid-late twenties have been.. interesting. Sometimes I think I take life too seriously and worry too much. I guess I’m just trying to figure it all out.”

34/52 Maria Kravchenko

“You know I actually sat down the other day and realized that as a kid I hated museums. My parents forced me to go to museums with them but I just literally hated it. I knew that there's a certain value to it, but it didn't speak to me. I was already expressing through art as a kid but It would be like 17th century pieces and things that couldn’t reflect on my experience.

I needed to grow up and mature and explore on my own. Slowly I started seeing the value of it for me, appreciating the little things, the detail, the thought, the the technique, the uniqueness of ideas, you know?

Sometimes you just don't know how to evaluate art and it's such a human pattern to think of it in terms of good and bad, so oftentimes pieces that are not understood are being categorized as ‘not good’. I think it's a beautiful process for us to try and ask more questions rather than come to a determination very quickly. With art and beyond.”

33/52 Mansa Chintoh

“My whole life I’ve always been into music, style, pop culture, art, film, that’s essentially all I care about (laughter). Choosing law specifically was more so because of my African parents being like “You need to have a career!”
So I chose entertainment law because it was a way for me to marry the things that I’m interested in with a career my mom won’t yell at me about (laughter)…Something I’m getting into now myself is producing. I want to MAKE something. I’ve been accepted into the National Screen Institute’s series incubator so I will make something this year, but being a lawyer I have such an A type brain that I’m always wondering, what are the rules, what are the steps, what’s the right way to do things, and I’m realizing that there is no right way so I just need to DO IT.”

31/52 Kieran Mathew

“When I first got started on this entrepreneurial path, my motivations were purely ego-driven. I felt inadequate so I wanted to make money to buy things I didn’t need, to impress people I didn’t really even like. It ended up creating a ton of anxiety as I was deeply afraid of failing and appearing inadequate. I was more focused on not failing than I was on doing meaningful work - with meaningful work being the end in itself, not the means to an end. Crippling anxiety became a catalyst for introspective work which completely shifted my motivations and purpose. For that reason, and likely that reason alone, I’m grateful for the anxiety. Feelings of inadequacy and FOMO can’t flourish when you know that who you are right now and what currently is - is already enough. That part is definitely a work in progress though…”

32/52 Ryan Dillon

“When my son Cruz was born premature we spent three months in NICU which is a scary place to be for family, especially new parents. He’s six now and is already the strongest person I know. They throw everything at him and he just smiles every day and takes everything. It’s crazy I find myself learning lessons from a six year old. Usually the dad teaches the kid the lessons but he teaches me what's life’s really all about.

Everybody has to deal with a lot of things in this life and you can't compare yourself. There's a good quote by Theodore Roosevelt ’comparison is the thief of joy’. If you compare yourself to somebody else, you’re robbing yourself of the joy you could have in life. I think It’s important to keep perspective and be appreciative of what you do have. You know your worst day could be someone else’s best.”