We grew up worlds apart.
Okay… not worlds apart, but across Oceans.
We are Joseph and Hannah Kuspira and we live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
KNOWLEJOBLE is the collision of our key values and experiences… a product of the desire to help career-minded professionals pursue prosperity and meaningful work. We are excited to get to know you and help on your professional journey.
Joseph’s Story:
I was born and raised in Edmonton with my Mom (from Thailand), Dad (Ukranian Canadian) and two brothers. I grew up spending a lot of time exploring the Albertan landscape with my friends’ families. My family did not have much money and didn’t spend much time together. I was quiet and shy as a child, preferring to fade into the background than stand out in a crowd.
My working life began at a young age in the restaurant industry where I stayed for 4 years. The greatest learning from my early life was the power of having a strong network of connections. Through my relationship-building skills, I was able to travel around Alberta, understand different cultures, and get all of my jobs.
I decided in elementary school that I wanted to be a carpenter (inspired by Joseph in the Bible). I pursued it until the collision of three events caused me to re-evaluate:
- “There has to be more to life than this,” my brother said. There is a 14 year age gap between myself and my oldest brother. I looked up to him and depended on his guidance. This simple statement made my wheels start turning. I had not thought that “successful” and “productive” adults could be looking for more from life. It opened my eyes to look for opportunities to do more, be more, and make a greater impact with my life.
- Cancer Scare – shortly after my parent’s divorce, my Mom got some scary news. It was likely that she had cancer and she needed further testing. In that moment I realized that I couldn’t do anything extra to help her. I couldn’t drive her to appointments, pay for special treatment, or do anything to help improve Mom’s quality of life. I felt like I had failed at 20 years of age because I could not take care of my family in the way that I wanted to. I wanted to do more.
- 23 and injured – while washing the car I felt a “pop” in my spine and had shooting pain down my leg. Brushing it off as “nothing serious”, I struggled with lower back pain anytime I sat down. A few years of treatment later, I saw a new physiotherapist who recommended an MRI… it was a slipped disk that was impinging a nerve. Spinal surgery was scheduled to repair the rupture. My job was causing significant wear and tear on my body despite my young age. I felt that I could no longer rely on my body for a long term career in carpentry and became dedicated to seeking a new path.
Hannah’s Story:
I was born in England, moved to The Netherlands when I was 7, and moved again to Canada when I was 14. I was exposed to a lively international community. I developed a deep appreciation for the individual stories of the people around me. It resulted in a deep curiosity about the things that are similar and different (things that divide and unite people) around the world.
My family had money but invested much of it into the amazing experiences of relocating and travelling (which costs a lot!). We were wealthy but didn’t have much extra money laying around. I was an accomplished musician, enjoyed writing, and was a high achiever in school. Drifting away from my enjoyment of the arts, I pursued a degree in psychology and a career in recruitment (which is what I do now). I began working at 14 years old and within 10 years I had worked in: restaurants, retail, customer service, teaching music, occupational health, mindfulness training, recruitment and sales.
My drive is to be the best at anything that I do, which is both a blessing and a curse. My recent experiences have helped me understand that my value as a human being does not come from my job or achievements, but from my willingness to share life and experiences with others.
There are three events that have significantly impacted my work-life so far:
- Leader of Tomorrow Award – In Grade 12 I was awarded the Leader of Tomorrow Award for Okotoks (a town in Southern Alberta). I recognized that my desire to help others could create a huge impact in the world. Ironically, I didn’t know what it meant to be a “leader” and had to ask my Dad for the definition on the night that I heard the news! Little did I know that I would be set on an endless pursuit of leadership opportunities.
- Psychology Internship – I participated in the Industrial Internship Program for my Bachelors Degree in Psychology, working 1-on-1 with clients with chronic pain and mental health concerns. Through mindfulness and biofeedback I helped patients to better manage their health conditions. I realized that I loved to teach and equip people. It became critical to me that I feed into people’s lives on an ongoing basis.
- Baptism – I was baptized in 2017 and became deeply connected to my Heavenly Father’s guidance. I opened up to God’s influence in my life and realized that every great gift that I have is a gift was from Him. I cannot do anything on my own. I write, speak and create programs to empower others to live a fulfilled and satisfying life… one that God desires for them.
In our early twenties, we met some incredible entrepreneurs who helped us start an MLM company. They introduced us to leadership principles that radically changed the way we viewed our future and the life that we wanted to pursue. Although we have since stepped away, we owe a lot of our success to the business and relational skills that we developed during that time.
We love the opportunity to train and mentor those around us. In our next adventure we are sharing personal stories, industry knowledge, and extensive research to equip and empower career-minded professionals worldwide. We want to encourage you to live a life of prosperity through the pursuit of meaningful work.
Thank you for reading our story! We hope you will join the journey as we seek to guide young professionals globally. We are not designed to figure it all out on our own!!
Please don’t hesitate to email us with questions or stories of your personal and professional success.
“… people repeatedly collide with each other swiftly, brutally – not to produce children, but to shatter their sense of self, and be thrust into a creative space beyond reason, where anything can happen. Only through the destruction of psychological borders is freedom possible.” Barry Webster – The Lava in My Bones.
We hope to hear from you and pray that we will positively collide with many of you over the upcoming years. We are here for you!
