ABOUT
I’m Jim.
I’m the founder of Beqaj International, recruiting, consulting and coaching. I’ve worked on Toronto’s Bay Street for years, but most importantly, I’m a career performance coach.
I make people better. My goal is to teach you to become your best self, to be inspired in your day-to-day life and to not let you allow your potential go to waste.
Believe me, I’ve dealt with some less than ideal circumstances in my time and these pivotal moments led me to feel strongly against the misuse of human capability—either by your company or by allowing it yourself. Adversity is the mother of invention. For me, it helped me become the person I am today.
Early in my career, I got things so wrong that it’s laughable to me now. Back in the day, I chased after the wrong things (the wrong jobs, the wrong promotions, the wrong companies) with a relentless determination until I won. If there was a title with clout up for grabs, I worked to make it mine. When I got it, I’d pursue the climb to the next level. I thought having a prestigious title was the be-all and end-all even if it cost my peace and happiness.
In my mid-thirties, I was the epitome of success working in finance, walking among the big names on Bay Street and knowing that I worked with the best in the country. It fell apart just after I turned 37. I was fired twice in a row. Then, my startup went bust. When all of that happened, I was forced to get really uncomfortable and look inwards. I realized that I had allowed my competitive side to get the best of me by chasing opportunities not because they were right for me, or even because I wanted them, but because they were admirable. If everyone else wanted them, I figured I should too.
I was a master contortionist, squishing myself into other people’s tiny boxes just to please them. Sound familiar? It probably does because everyone does this. Thankfully, I figured out how to stop. I can help you quit this mindset too. I learned to ask myself who I was and what I honestly wanted. It was when I held onto those personal values that I started to see success—real success.
Most of the people who I coach are stuck in one way or another. I ask them what people should pay them for and how they actually want to spend their days. It’s not rocket science but it is mind-blowing to most people.
“Most people squirm at taking a brutally honest look at themselves but that’s the only way to make the right changes needed to find your true fit. I will help you find yourself and in turn, learn to educate people about who you are so that you end up where you’re supposed to be.”
I’m married to my amazing wife, Jennifer, and I’m the father of six wonderful children. Being a parent means that I’ve witnessed six incredible individuals develop into very different people with very different talents and interests. Each of them has taken the path that makes sense for them. I would want no different.
My son Jack is someone whose experiences have really shaped my philosophy. Jack underwent brain surgery at the age of five. It was an incredibly difficult time that put life priorities into perspective. In the time that followed, my wife and I had to stop educators in their tracks when they told us that to make Jack more well-rounded, they would have him improve upon his weaknesses. We insisted that they do the opposite. In building upon his existing strengths, Jack co-founded a business with his brother while he was still in his teens. He went to university graduating with a degree in sports management. He currently works for the Blue Jays and is an avid aviation photographer.
My message to my children is that it’s unrealistic to think you’re ever going to be balanced at everything so you might are well just focus on what you’re good at. There will always be things that you’re not good at. Forget about those things.
What I tell my clients and what I tell my children is exactly the same. I’m always upfront about who I am and I never apologize for that.
I enjoy my work coaching, consulting and recruiting because I have the freedom to take the bull by the horns and do my job properly. Fear is paralyzing so I teach people how to get over it. If you’re not afraid of the answer being no, then you hold all the power. Empowerment overrides fear when you refuse to accept anything other than the true fit.
