126. Why your "random" life choices are secretly connected — Tasneem Damji
What if the "wrong" turns, the detours, and the jobs that made zero sense were actually building something extraordinary all along? Tasneem Damji — educator, career coach for students, and mother of two — unpacks a nonlinear career path that spans continents, cultures, and decades. All of us at some point have looked at our lives and thought how does any of this connect?, this conversation covers that and how everything ends up being a full circle moment.
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Intro
(01:30) Tasneem and the two very different stages of motherhood she's navigating
(06:23) Failing a science degree she never wanted and what it took to finally change course
(09:48) Moving to Tajikistan with no plan and accidentally discovering her life's work
(17:08) Leaving a toxic job and saying yes to a workshop she had no idea how to run
(23:45) Why everything she did that "made no sense" became her superpower in the job market
(35:23) Moving back to Canada and rebuilding her career
(44:00) Tasneem’s work with high school students — and why she never tells them what to do
(56:51) What parents of young kids can do right now to raise children who know themselves
(1:08:42) What is Tasneem figuring out and her big dreams
KEY TAKEAWAY
You can't plan your future — and that's actually the best news you'll hear all day. What you can do is plan your next step with intention, follow your interests, and trust that the through line will reveal itself later. As Tasneem says, the question isn't what do you want to be? — it's who are you becoming?
About Tasneem Damji
Tasneem Damji is a college and career clarity coach who helps young people connect the dots between who they are and where they’re going.
But her path here wasn’t linear. From navigating uncertainty in her own life to pivoting careers and raising two children eight and a half years apart, Tasneem knows firsthand that growth rarely follows a straight line. It unfolds through courage, discomfort, and the willingness to step outside your comfort zone — again and again. Today, she works with teens and families to move from overwhelm to clarity, helping young people uncover their strengths, tell their stories with confidence, and make thoughtful decisions about their future. Her work goes far beyond applications and resumes; it’s about building lifelong self-trust.
At the heart of everything she does is one belief: nothing in your life is wasted. Every twist, every detour, every doubt is part of the bigger picture. Tasneem is a mother of two and believes that when we raise reflective, compassionate, and resilient young people, we change not just their future — but ours too
Connect with Tasneem Damji
Website | https://www.tasneemdamji.com/