Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amelia Chan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amelia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Success looks different for everyone. Self employment can be a challenging and lonely pathway. I believe hard work, personal drive and grit has helped me a lot to keep going when times were tough. You must have self-awareness and a drive from within or it can be easy to give in to all the noise telling you it’s too hard.

When I first started in my career, it wasn’t as acceptable to wear multiple hats as it is now, but I have found it brings greater opportunity and flexibility for everybody. The benefit of not fitting into any one mold is that you can’t really fail. You learn to be strong by appreciating the pitfalls and mistakes of forging your own way.

I took on whatever no one else wanted to do and I learned the heck out of every unexpected opportunity. I found meaning in assignments others thought inconsequential and boring. I geeked out on dissecting processes and I made it my secret superpower. My hands-on approach gave me a deeper understanding of how things worked and what really mattered. I was able to come up with innovative ways to do something others were less inclined to try because it wasn’t what got the most attention.

Over the years, I think the biggest contributors to my success have been my ability to keep an open mind and adapt when needed. In my early HR work within tech, I evolved my immigration knowledge, seamlessly integrating it with my HR background to assist expatriates as they transition to Canada and a new workplace.

Amelia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am an immigration/HR specialist who is passionate about individual and operational excellence—and creating the opportunities and connection for that excellence to flourish. As the principal of Higher Options, I work with business leaders to deal with their organizational challenges for growth and development—whether that involves bringing in global talent or optimizing their org chart to let that talent thrive.

As a Canadian immigration specialist, I assist clients in all areas of global mobility—from candidate identification to obtaining valid work permits/permanent status. Because of my extensive experience working with organizations and individuals, I understand both perspectives—and leverage that knowledge to find common ground and get things done.

I believe in collaboration. By working through problems together, people build trust, respect, and community—and that translates into success. There are lots of highly skilled and knowledgeable people out there, but what people value and remember is connection. I keep that front of my mind for people leaders and offer nothing less in return.

What sets me apart is that I focus on understanding what really matters to the client. Even though they may come looking for my help with an application or a plan, that often evolves, but that is always on the basis of the connection made. It is the whole experience that wins their respect and trust.

While very important, my technical knowledge is often secondary. For example, although many of the professionals I have relocated needed work permit status, it was making sure their families stayed together that mattered the most to them in accepting the job. The company wanted to attract and retain the talent while the individual needed the reassurance that their acceptance was a package deal. I help answer the needs on both sides of that equation and that brings peace of mind—and results.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

It is important to understand yourself and not to let others define your trajectory.

When I was starting out, I worked for large organizations where things were pretty rigid. The people I encountered in those environments weren’t particularly approachable and definitely did not like change. I stood out like a sore thumb with my curiosity and upbeat attitude. This—coupled with the tendency to push beyond established boundaries—made me a misfit.

Those early experiences made me think about how I would do differently if given the chance. The rejection also fueled my determination to create positive change in the world and the workplace.

It hasn’t been easy as someone who had always felt like a lone wolf, but determination and a built-in work ethic keeps me going. Over time, I just focused on doing really good work and bringing back to clients and their employees what was missing in my early workplace experiences—namely, support, encouragement, and true community.

We are all better together. I try to be the person I needed back then, for others.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I credit word of mouth and good working relationships for developing Higher Options’ reputation, since I have never advertised in the traditional way.

While it’s always great to get thanks from your clients, my clients are the ones deserving thanks for building my business and reputation alike. Their word of mouth of my knowledge, integrity, and work style are the things that have really helped me grow.

Moreover, wearing the two hats of immigration and HR as I do, my clients not only bring me other good clients, but often return to me at different points in their career cycle.

For example, my work begins with some clients as international students, who then become work permit holders, before I end up helping them with their permanent immigration. Afterwards, these individuals become entrepreneurs who come back for the HR side of my business knowledge as their own companies grow. I’m so lucky to experience those full circle moments.

That said, I have also found value in helping spread that word of mouth through editorial contributions and presentations, such as my work with PeopleTalk Magazine and Vancouver Film School.

What makes my practice so rewarding is the chance to work with a client through their personal and professional challenges wherever they are in their journey—and have them return as they continue to explore their own higher options.

Contact Info:

• Website: hr-options.com
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/amelia-chan-79bba6