An Inspired Chat with Christine Campbell Rapin of Calgary

Christine Campbell Rapin shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Christine, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Being a business owner is a wild ride. One stray comment or unexpected twist can shake even the most confident among us—making us question everything, despite how far we’ve come.

Recently, I sat down with a client who’s been operating at mach-10 speed as the CEO of a start-up. In under a year, he’s opened doors, hired a team, built strategic alliances, and secured clients. What he’s accomplished is extraordinary.

But then, a peer casually remarked, “I just don’t see the vision.” The effect was immediate. Imposter syndrome took hold. He began to spiral: Do I have what it takes to lead? Is my vision delusional or brilliant? Who am I to sit at the table with industry titans and academic leaders?

I saw the unraveling in real time—and had the courage to stop it cold.

I’m proud to bear witness to his journey and to stand in a position of trust, reminding him of the courage he leads with. I pointed to the small wins, the champions he’s gathered, and the boldness of his vision. Trailblazers rarely receive applause at the outset—but he is one. The board chose wisely when they hired him.

As a business mentor, I’m privileged to sit front row to people’s dreams. Sometimes I bring sharp strategy, quick decision-making, and experience. Other times, I bear witness to greatness in progress. I remind my clients: When you wobble, I’ll hold your vision. And when your confidence falters, you can borrow mine.

Leadership isn’t a popularity contest. It’s about setting the course and making tough decisions for the greater good. This individual is one of the most extraordinary humans I know—and he’s reshaping small-town America, one brick, one bold idea, one courageous step at a time.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
As a business mentor, strategist, and unapologetic champion of entrepreneurs who dare to build something bold. I sit front row to people’s dreams, helping founders and CEOs navigate the chaos of growth, leadership, and vision-building. My work isn’t just about strategy and execution—it’s about holding space and supporting greatness in progress.

What makes my global consulting business unique is the dual lens I bring: sharp business acumen paired with deep emotional intelligence. I know when to push for decisive action and when to pause and remind someone of their worth. I’ve built a reputation for being the person you call when your confidence wobbles—because I’ll hold your vision until you’re ready to carry it again.

Right now, I’m focused on helping trailblazers build organizations building to their first million dollars in annual revenue. Creatives and professional consultants who share a bold commitment to their communities. I believe leadership isn’t a popularity contest—it’s about courage, clarity, and creating spaces that didn’t exist before. As business owners we get to choose to be the kind of leaders we believe the world needs – and in turn build tomorrow’s next leaders.

Whether I’m crafting strategy, mentoring through imposter syndrome, or celebrating the quiet wins that often go unnoticed, my mission is clear: to help entrepreneurs lead with conviction and build legacies that matter.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Straight out of university, I faced a test I never saw coming. I lost my corporate role—not because of poor performance, but because my boss handed it to someone he was having an affair with. I was devastated, bewildered, and furious as nothing in business school ever prepared me for this kind of harsh reality that happens in the workplace.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
In that raw moment where I learned about the affair my married boss was having with a co-worker, I realized leadership isn’t granted by title or approval—it’s a choice I had to make for myself. I wiped away my disillusionment, dusted myself off, and decided to define who I would become next. When a founding invite came from a tech start-up, I walked in with an open mind and a conviction to lead my own way.

Start-ups are pure leadership labs. With no hierarchy, everyone learns fast, fails faster, and pushes for results. I witnessed both the thrill of breakthrough and the sting of layoffs. That environment cemented my belief that real leadership is about gathering facts, confronting hard truths, and making values-grounded decisions without waiting for permission.

Today, I run a global consulting firm helping entrepreneurs turn ideas into their own long-term success stories. But I still carry that early lesson close: leadership isn’t a title. It’s choosing to step up, hold the vision—even when it wobbles—and contribute to the greater good, every single day.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
Smart people often believe the next big breakthrough lies in more technology, data, or process. They underestimate how far a genuine smile, a clarifying question, or a moment of eye contact can carry an organization. Complexity has its place, but without human connection it’s just noise.

Everywhere I turn, I see companies squeezing every ounce of efficiency out of AI, automation, and analytics—and yet struggling to connect emotionally with their teams. We confuse complex with cutting-edge, ignoring that people crave clarity, trust, and a simple invitation to belong. We build elaborate strategies but skip the most foundational step: listening deeply, meeting people where they are and inviting them to step into their infinite potential.

From my vantage point, the real leverage is in human connection and radical simplicity. When you swap complexity for connection you:

Restore confidence faster than any algorithm can

Turn stakeholders into advocates with a shared vision they can own

Spark creativity because people feel safe enough to contribute, fail, and iterate out loud

Complexity may impress—connection inspires

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When have you had to bet the company?
Earlier this year, I faced a crossroads: continue our partnership with our single-largest client or walk away. On paper, we were still delivering double-digit growth, but their leadership values had drifted so far from ours that staying on felt disingenuous. After mounting misalignment, I chose integrity over revenue and severed ties.

Betting on the company meant embracing a deliberate financial gamble. I understood that I had to be willing to risk short-term income to protect my integrity. Over the next three months, we pivoted our sales focus, strengthened existing relationships, and launched targeted outreach to new prospects whose values resonated with ours. By quarter’s end, we not only recouped the lost revenue but also built a healthier, more values-aligned client roster.

That decision reinforced a core belief: betting on yourself—your principles, your team, and your vision—is always the smartest risk you can take.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.christinecampbellrapin.com
• Instagram: https;//www.instagram.com/christinecampbellrapin
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinecampbellrapin
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinecampbellrapin
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@christinecampbellrapin
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/6t983WHkhxrDr82tAilAOF?si=1d76c6faba034bf9

Image Credits
@Miko Photography
@StyleMyPic
@Laura Harstad
@Lindsay Sullivan