Header bg
  • section background

    Debbie Roche: Exploration is the best way to find purpose in your hustle

    Hero bg 2
    debbie-roche-top

    The defining challenge of a millennial’s working life? Finding the right career.

    Unlike Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, millennials tend to seek a deeper sense of fulfilment in their work lives. This shift in workplace values has pushed the conventional, arrow-shot career path to branch into multi-careerism. Feeling passionate about work is a key factor in job satisfaction for many millennials, and working several jobs is often the only way to achieve this and make an acceptable income at the same time.

    This is because, more than just paychecks and promotions, millennials aim to leave a positive impact on the world. They want a larger purpose. However, in most cases, that purpose is found at the end of a winding and confusing career path.

    Need Insurance for Your Small Business?

    APOLLO and Gallagher have partnered to provide insurance designed for businesses and business professionals. Get a free quote online in under five minutes and receive your policy instantly.

    Get a Free Online Quote

    4.7 rating

    Google Logo

    Meet Debbie Roche — entrepreneur, broadcaster, and storyteller. Oh, and part-time fundraising coordinator at Vancouver Radio Co-op. Like many other millennials trying to navigate the crazy job market in Vancouver, she had to go through the long-winded process of trying different jobs to find the shoe that fit. For her, that shoe ended up being broadcasting media.

    At a quick glance, Roche’s professional history looks like an odd collage of unrelated jobs. She graduated with a fashion degree in Glasgow, Scotland, and instead of continuing in fashion, she began practicing as a yoga teacher when she moved to Vancouver, B.C. Seven years into her yoga teaching career, she transitioned into entrepreneurship. She founded DebTalks in 2014, a video blog that hosts women’s stories of success, failure, and determination. Two years later, she created Roche Online Business Services, a successful virtual assistant service for entrepreneurs and business owners.

    Clearly, Roche had to do some exploring before settling in a job she felt was the right fit. Job-hopping is a common and perhaps strange hallmark for millennials, but there is in fact a method to this madness. When each work opportunity is viewed as a personal learning experience, exploring different jobs can help you learn new, out-of-industry skills and find clarity on your true calling. And once you understand what that purpose is, you have a broad collection of knowledge, connections, and skills to draw upon.

    This is especially relevant to the rising number of millennials pursuing entrepreneurship and self-employment. Being your own boss will call for you to wear different hats and apply different skill sets. As a veteran in this area, Roche advises, “Value your experiences. Don’t regret any of the jobs that didn’t work out or any failed venture attempts. Usually, everything you’ve ever done will help you in the future, even if they seem like ‘random jobs’ to you at the time. Everything is a learning experience.”

    For example, Roche’s experiences as an entrepreneur and administrative assistant (she also worked several clerical government jobs) ended up helping her structure a business plan for a new venture. Her time in those roles also taught her valuable networking skills that helped her find the right interview subjects and marketing skills to promote her podcast.

    Thus, we finally arrive at Roche’s true passion as host and producer on Uncomfortable the Podcast. Uncomfortable is dedicated to creating a safe space where people can openly discuss difficult topics such as mental health, relationships, death, abortion, and shame. Officially launched in December 2018, Uncomfortable is still in its early stages, but Roche has already recorded 32 episodes with various entrepreneurs, psychologists, writers, and coaches from across Canada and around the world.

    After finding her footing in the media industry, Roche knew she wanted to make a difference in the dialogue and conceptions surrounding many uncomfortable topics in our society. She created Uncomfortable to address the invisible challenges people live with every day, but she also suspected that this work would also have an effect on her own personal growth.

    “I wanted to help people — especially the underrepresented voices in society — open up about difficult experiences and gain a sense of acceptance,” said Roche. “But there was a personal reason for starting Uncomfortable, too. I knew that creating this podcast would help me get out of my comfort zone and become more confident.”

    When it comes to growing Uncomfortable, Roche wants to go all the way. She envisions it evolving into a larger platform including live events with speaker panels and an editorial component with a blog for online communities to share opinions. Currently, Uncomfortable is available on RadioPublic, iTunes, Podbean, Spotify, Youtube, and Google Play.

    Need Insurance for Your Small Business?

    APOLLO and Gallagher have partnered to provide insurance designed for businesses and business professionals. Get a free quote online in under five minutes and receive your policy instantly.

    Originally published October 31, 2019, updated October 30, 2024

    Back to APOLLO Magazine
    Share this article

    Looking for tenant insurance?

    Get no-nonsense coverage that's the best value for your money. Purchase policies from your computer or phone, receive your documents instantly, and save when you buy online.

    Looking for tenant insurance?

    Get no-nonsense coverage that's the best value for your money. Purchase policies from your computer or phone, receive your documents instantly, and save when you buy online.

    Relevant articles

    complete index blogs apollo canada

    A Complete Index of APOLLO’s Insurance Blogs

    the-creative-exchange-7aKbIqfIEMw-unsplash

    Here’s how you can take more effective breaks

    office-insurance

    Why office insurance is important for your business

    maliha-mannan-8gn_WhKv8Ns-unsplash

    The benefits of procrastination

    section background
    section background

    Getting insured is as easy as 1 - 2 - 3

    Tell us (very little) about yourself
    1

    Tell us (very little) about yourself

    Just tell us your address, your name, email and phone number. And that's it. We'll give you a price in less than a minute.

    Pay online easily and securely
    2

    Pay online easily and securely

    You can choose to pay monthly or save money by paying for the entire year in one easy payment.

    Get your documents in your inbox - instantly
    3

    Get your documents in your inbox - instantly

    As soon as you complete your purchase, you'll find your proof of insurance and policy documents waiting for you in your inbox.

    Get covered today - it couldn’t be easier

    We’ve provided more than 1,000,000 quotes to Canadians just like you. Give it a try!

    Google Logo

    Reviews

    4.7 rating

    2,163 reviews

    view all

    Across Canada

    Contact Us
    Apollo logo

    © 2024 APOLLO Insurance Solutions Ltd.

    111 Water Street, Unit 210, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 1A7

    APOLLO Insurance Agency Ltd. (o/a APOLLO Brokerage in the province of Ontario only) is a licensed retail brokerage, offering our clients with a comprehensive set of insurance solutions to meet their individual needs. APOLLO Insurance Agency Ltd. maintains necessary corporate licensing in provinces across Canada. Availability of products and service depends on licensing and product availability. The information that appears on this page is provided for information purposes only. Advertised products and prices are not guaranteed and vary based on insurance provider and/or insurance company's discretion and product availability.

    Transparency and Disclosure: APOLLO Insurance Agency's role is to provide you with exceptional service and the best insurance products that suit your needs. As a licensed retail brokerage, our compensation is based on a commission basis already built into your insurance premium and varies based on the product purchased through our platform. For a description of how APOLLO Insurance Agency is compensated and how this is calculated, please refer to our Compensation Disclosure document. For consumers in Ontario, please review the RIBO Conduct Fact Sheet and the RIBO Conduct Guidance document.