I once got labeled at work—and it almost derailed my career. Canada is facing the same problem.

Like many, I started my career with high expectations. I was ambitious, driven, and confident I was on the fast track. Then came the day that changed everything.

In an executive team meeting, I asked the VP of Marketing a simple question about his plan. His response?

“What would you know? You’re just an accountant.”

That comment shook me. It hurt. But looking back, it was the best thing that could have happened.

Why? Because in that moment I realized I had been labeled—and if I didn’t act, that label would define me forever and limit my opportunities and future.

So, I made a choice: I would never again be “just anything.”

Our country has clearly been labeled as well, and I believe this label is killing us as we try to negotiate our future in the face of tariffs.

These limiting labels revolve around the following perceptions:

• “Polite and nice” → admired globally, but often equated with weak, accommodating, or risk-averse.

• “Resource economy” → seen as hewers of wood and drawers of water; less as innovators or builders of global brands.

• “Go-for-the-bronze” country → Tobias Lütke’s phrase, implying we settle for “good enough” instead of striving for the top.

• “America’s little brother” → defined by our proximity to the U.S., rather than on our own terms.

• “Safe but boring” → stability is valued, but it also feeds the stereotype of lacking boldness or creativity.

The Radically Canadian movement is all about shedding our existing labels and replacing them with a new attitude – one that is bold, confident, and audacious. One where the world sees that we are standing up to the bully and fighting for our rights as a strong, independent, sovereign nation.   

The truth is, labels don’t fade on their own. They stick—until we replace them.

I refused to be “just an accountant.” And Canada must refuse to be “just polite,” “just resourceful,” or “just America’s little brother.”

That’s why the Radically Canadian movement matters. It’s about trading in old labels for new ones: bold, confident, audacious. It’s about showing the world we won’t be pushed around, underestimated, or defined by others.

The question is: are we ready to finally shed these old labels—and write our own?

How To Deal with Negative Career Labels

Signs that you may have been labeled

• Have you’ve been constantly passed over for promotion?

• Has your role been expanded recently?

• Are you included in key decisions?

• Are you micromanaged despite good performance?

• Do colleagues joke about your “one trait” (e.g., “the detailed one”)

Some of the steps to break free of these labels are:

• 1.    Acknowledge It –recognize the label for what it is.

• 2.    Share it – tell your boss that you want to fix it

• 3.    Commit to life-long learning – fix your weaknesses

• 4.    Show Range – volunteer for projects outside your “box” to prove versatility.

• 5.    Control the Narrative – use consistent language about your broader skills in meetings, bios, and reviews.

• 6.    Enlist Allies – ask managers and mentors to advocate for your wider contributions.

• 7.    Stay Persistent – perceptions shift slowly; consistency rewrites the story