Meet The Breadwinners

When Jessica became pregnant with her first child she was Chief Operating Officer of a rapidly growing tech start-up. With the support of her husband, she decided to return to work 6 weeks after their daughter was born. While she felt positive about her decision, she was disappointed with all the negative criticism she received. She talks about what being a good mother means to her and how their family makes it work.

As a 10-year-old child in the Philippines, Michael became responsible for his younger siblings when his parents had to leave for work. It was during this time that he connected with his true calling as a caregiver. Today, he is a registered nurse and is patiently surprised every time he walks into a room and someone is expecting him to be a female or wonders (out loud) why he didn’t choose to be doctor. He finds inspiration in his parents and is grateful for the support of his husband.

People have asked Marcin if he’s “just too lazy to work,” but the fact is that he and his wife made the choice for him to stay at home and care for their children.  It’s what works for their family and he couldn’t be more proud of his role. He shares about the exclusion of Dads in the sea of “Mommy and Me” playgroups and the way he deals with condescending assumptions and remarks about how men just aren’t “naturally” as good as women at parenting.

When Sinthea moved out of her parents’ home to live independently at 22 years of age, she faced criticism from her family and community. Today, she continues to challenge traditional expectations as the sole financial provider for her household. She tells us how she deals with “the haters”, picking up the check, and being the first in her family to do things differently.

When people imagine a stunt coordinator, they’re usually not picturing Angelica. She stunt drives, coordinates fight scenes, and in her 23 years of experience has learned how to deal with the people who are surprised she does what she does. Hear how she got her start as a kid in rural Ontario, found a role model on TV, and continues to lead by example.