Flashback Files

In this episode of Flashback Files, I sit down with Tori T to unpack what early career confidence really looks like — and how career clarity can evolve over time. Tori shares how she became a shift manager at 16, what she learned managing older coworkers, and how COVID disrupted her post-secondary experience and momentum. We also talk about the pressure to “have it all figured out,” the reality of...

In this episode, I reflect on their journey of creating a podcast focused on early adulthood, sharing personal experiences and insights gained from guests. We will also take a look at universal themes that came up across all guests and I. These themes include self-awareness, confidence, financial literacy, and the universal challenges faced by young adults.

If money feels confusing or overwhelming in your early twenties, you’re not broken — you’re early. In this episode of Flashback Files, I’m opening up about my own early experiences with money and debt: the first credit card, the too-small paycheck, the bills I wasn’t prepared for, and the shame that came with it. I’m not a financial advisor. I’m sharing the real, emotional side of money — the part...

Welcome back to Flashback Files — the podcast for students, recent grads, and young professionals who want to reflect on how early experiences shape confidence, identity, and leadership. Today I’m joined by Eesha, a third-year Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour student at McMaster University. Eesha has: • 16+ years of training and teaching in North Indian classical dance • 9+ years in Toastm...

Stepping into your first sales role feels a lot like stepping into adulthood—exciting, confusing, and full of pressure you didn’t see coming. In this episode of Flashback Files, I go back to the early days of my career to break down what sales really looks like for young professionals: the fear, the rejection, the identity struggle, and the surprising ways you’re already “selling” every day withou...

In this episode of Flashback Files, I sit down with Sergio, a newly-minted PhD in Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, to unpack what really happens between starting university and “figuring out” your career. Sergio walks us through his journey from an environmentally-driven high school student, into first-year engineering at McMaster, co-op experiences, and eventually a seven-year PhD at the...

Grief changed me—whether I wanted it or not. In this episode of Flashback Files, I breaks down how losing my mom reshaped my identity, confidence, and the way I lead my life and the people in it. This isn’t therapy. It’s a heads-up for anyone who’s gone through loss or hasn’t yet—and how it may impact your character, your decisions, and your leadership. If you’ve ever felt the pressure to “stay st...

In this episode, I sit down with Sanya — a recent university graduate — to talk about what real life looks like after school. And in keeping with Flashback Files’ theme of honesty and transparency, we left the “behind-the-scenes” conversation in the beginning. No polishing, no pretending. Just real people figuring it out. Sanya opens up about: Starting university in the middle of COVID Feeling los...

Part 2 of Ages 18–24 picks up at my first job in the career I went to school for — and the reality that it wasn’t what I imagined. What looked like a dream job quickly turned into anxiety, performance warnings, embarrassment, and a hit to my confidence that followed me for years. In this episode, I talk about: How it felt to land my “dream” internship The pressure of trying to look successful whil...

In this episode of Flashback Files, I cover the early years of adulthood — ages 18 to 24. This is Part 1, where life gets real for the first time: first full-time job, first taste of independence, and the pressure of trying to figure out who you are and what you’re doing with your life. I talk about: Working as a full-time caretaker while my friends were still in high school Feeling out of place,...

In this episode of Flashback Files, I jump into ages 13 to 17 — the high school years. This was the chapter where insecurity, identity, friendship, and first relationships started shaping who I became. I talk about: Leaving middle school confidence behind and starting over again Trying to be the person everyone else wanted instead of who I really was The pressure to fit in — through sports, friend...

In this episode of Flashback Files, I go all the way back to ages 6 to 12 — before careers, before confidence, and before any of us had words to explain how we felt. These years shaped how I saw myself, how I tried to fit in, and how early patterns of insecurity and approval-seeking began. I talk about: What it felt like to be mixed-race in spaces where I stood out Trying to fit in by being the “f...

Flashback Files Kick Off | Episode 1 Welcome to the very first episode of Flashback Files. I’m Josh Green — and before we get into childhood stories, journal entries, first jobs, and leadership lessons, I want to tell you why this podcast exists. A lot of young adults feel like they’re supposed to have everything figured out—who they are, what they want, where they’re going. I didn’t. And pretendi...