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

Calissa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

I owe everything to my parents-or my “parentals” as I lovingly call them. You see, I am adopted. With that, comes a lot of internal baggage, questions, emotional projections, guilt and insecurity. When I was old enough to navigate through all of those thoughts and feelings-I understood and accepted that they chose me to be a part of their family, and for that I am forever grateful.

At a young age, my parents instilled in me the importance of independence and carving out your own path in life-both personally and professionally. There was never any pressure from them to succeed in the way that society often expects. Instead, they made sure I knew the importance of being happy with what I am doing in my life, and the rest would fall into place. They told me often that if I worked hard and dedicated myself to “the pursuit of happiness”, anything was possible.

I will never forget a conversation I had with my dad almost 20 years ago. I was struggling in a toxic workplace environment, and was having a difficult time coping with the stress it was causing. He told me that when I was in high school, they never had to worry about me. When I asked why, he told me that I was always able to carry myself with confidence and grace, never letting adversity change me. This really struck me. It made me feel worthy of accepting and working through challenges in personal and professional settings.

Calissa, 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 knew from a young age, that it was my calling to work in the social services sector. To be a change-maker who sought to intentionally impact the trajectory of those struggling with mental health. My focus has generally been on young people, but my expertise expands to all ages from childhood to seniors.

I have been working in the mental health field for over 20 years. I am a Professor at the College level with 13 teachable courses in several departments. I own a private practice where I collaborate with other social service agencies, families, and community partners to provide behavioural support and intervention to those dealing with multilevel barriers. I also host and speak at conferences and workshops, and provide resilience mentorship to young people struggling with life transitions.

I have such a love for life and people. Especially those that are part of the underrepresented and marginalized class. My focus is on empowerment of those struggling with mental health issues, diagnosis’ and struggles. Connecting them with resources and offering mindful approaches to move forward with an understanding that they are not alone.

My passion is providing keynote speeches and workshops in schools, workplaces, and conferences-that focus on mental health as well as life transitions for young people entering post secondary and the workforce.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I started my social services journey, as a young and ambitious teenager working for after school and evening programs. I graduated high school and transitioned to work on the front lines in residential group homes, hospitals, schools and child protection agencies. It wasn’t until years into my career, that I attended College to receive an honours diploma in Child and Youth Work. It was such a rewarding time in my life. I really felt like I was making a difference in the lives of young people. Providing emotional support, behaviour intervention and strategies as well as life and social skills training. I worked with a lot of at risk youth and adults that displayed challenging behaviours, including physical aggression. I became really good at learning not to take behaviours personally, and how to de-escalate clients who were acting out.

After 15 years of front line service, I knew it was a time for change. I pivoted to work in private practice, where I had more control of the type of clients and files I would be managing. I also got into teaching at the College level, professional speaking, and workshop facilitation. It has allowed me the opportunity to reach a larger audience with my message of hope and resilience-with my decades of experience.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

In business, you can not be everything to everyone. No one will encourage you to walk away from potential profit and success. The bottom line is often say and do what you need, to make the sale. Working in the business of people and their wellbeing-this strategy can have devastating effects for the clients you are trying to help. My goal is to provide a service that relies on referrals and best practices. Whether it is from client to potential new client, or myself recommending another equally qualified service that may better meet their needs. Going into a meeting, I make my objective known from “Hello.” I am there to assess their asks and determine how to move forward to meet their goals. It is always interesting to me the response I receive when I offer to refer the agency or family to another provider. I am usually met with shock and disbelief that I am willing to give up the business to someone else. I always explain that the objective is to help them work through their problem with my service, or one that is likeminded.

Unfortunately, in every industry there is a sense of urgency and competition. My goal is to have a business that is client-centred and not solely focused on increasing revenue. Don’t get me wrong, that is an important part of running any business. But in social services, trust and accountability is just as important as results and numbers. This is the formula I use to grow my clientele. If they trust me and the process, they will recommend me to others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.calissangozi.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calissangozi/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calissa-ngozi-cyc-cert-691739116/

Image Credits
Stacy’s Creations Photography Lindsey MacDonald Photography