CBC Future 40 offers aboriginal leaders a spotlight on success

Being an aboriginal role model is a big responsibility.

I try to show mainstream society that First Nations people do have great potential to be great leaders. All it takes is the will to understand one another and do everything we can to work together to make our world a better place. 

CBC Future 40 can be a big part of that. 

I was shortlisted in 2013 with an amazing group of 40 young Saskatchewan change-makers. The publicity of the event and having a platform to share our story was valuable to me because my personal and business brand was forming the foundation for future success in Canada.

It allowed my story to be told in the same place as other young aboriginal Future 40 nominees such as Michael Linklater, Simon Bird, Kevin Seesequasis, Erica Lee and Tala Tootoosis.

As CBC Future 40 continues to highlight people who come from all parts of the globe, it shows that this province has the tools and the right people to make amazing things happen. I always tell people that there are great people in this province to learn from and they can influence you as mentor or a role model. 

We need things like Future 40 because it encourages and builds a culture of success among everyone — including aboriginal people — in Saskatchewan. 

And a word of advice for anyone taking risks and trying to do something great: When you find yourself in a rut or bad place, think of the leaders who are recognized as CBC Future 40 nominees, and what they had to do to achieve their goals. 

Nothing is impossible once you start seeing amazing people with ambitious goals achieving them.

At the end of the day, the only person who will stop you from achieving success is yourself. The only people who will influence you are the people who you hang around with. Who do you want to be?

Nominate someone now at cbc.ca/future40.