We were lucky to catch up with Caitlin White-parsons recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Caitlin with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
Building my work ethic has been a journey shaped by the sports I immersed myself in growing up. These experiences not only instilled a strong work ethic but also cemented the belief that success is achievable through effort and perseverance.
At 10 years old, I began my career as a competitive swimmer. By high school, I was swimming twice a day, waking up at 4:30 a.m. to be in the water by 5:30 a.m., then heading straight from school back to the pool. One summer, I attended a grueling training camp in a small New Zealand town called Feilding. Each day consisted of swimming 6-7 kilometers per session, twice daily in a 50-meter pool, and running 1.5 kilometers to and from the pool. At 14, I was feeling a little overwhelmed by the sheer physical and mental demands. On day two, I called my parents, begging to come home. Their response was simple: “You can do it.” Though the first few days were filled with tears of exhaustion, I persevered and finished the camp strong. That effort paid off when I won a medal at Nationals, a direct result of the speed and endurance I had gained during that camp.
At 17, I joined my high school rowing team. Once again, I found myself waking at 4:30 a.m. to train, watching the sun rise over the water and the steam rise from my teammates backs in the cold air. My afternoons were spent in similar intensity, with callused hands and sun-tanned skin from hours of effort. Rowing pushed my body to new limits, teaching me resilience and determination. After high school, I joined a rowing club while balancing two part-time jobs and full-time university studies. My goal was to earn a scholarship to the U.S., so I worked relentlessly to improve my 2k rowing time and achieve the grades needed to transfer.
At 21, my hard work paid off when I transferred to the University of Miami on a full-ride scholarship. For two years, I juggled 2-3 training sessions daily, a full academic schedule, and 20 mandatory study hall hours each week. It was exhausting, but the experience was transformative. I pushed my body and mind to places I never thought possible, forging lifelong friendships and collecting incredible memories from traveling across the U.S. for competitions. The student-athlete experience was one of the most rewarding periods of my life.
After graduating, I was granted a one-year work visa in the U.S., with the condition that I work in my field of study: Film Production. I landed a part-time job that provided valuable experience but barely covered my rent. To make ends meet, I turned to freelance work, spending evenings editing videos for clients around the world. I slept on a camp mattress for three months until my roommate gave me her old bed. Despite being dirt broke, I had an amazing year filled with friendships and self-discovery. I learned that determination and resourcefulness could help me overcome any challenge.
The most important lesson I’ve learned from these experiences is that hard work pays off—just not always in the ways you expect. That year of freelancing allowed me to extend my stay in a city I loved, surrounded by incredible friends I still cherish. Afterward, I returned to New Zealand briefly before taking another leap of faith. With just $1,000 to my name, I moved to Toronto—a place I had only visited for 24 hours—to pursue an exciting job opportunity. I didn’t know anyone there, but my determination and willingness to embrace the unknown led me down a path of growth and adventure.
Building my work ethic has been about embracing challenges, persevering through difficulties, and trusting in my ability to succeed. Each step of the journey has taught me that putting in the effort—even when the payoff isn’t immediate or obvious—leads to a life filled with purpose, resilience, and joy.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I moved into sales this year after years in marketing so have been learning as much as I can in that world. Aside from that, I’m focusing a lot of energy on improving my post-production video skills. I’m working through a course by Kolder Creative to learn the DaVinci Resolve editing suite with a focus on colour grading and FX. I love creating content and do so whenever I can. At some point, creating content full-time is the goal.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Self-sufficiency: my first Manager in Canada taught me this valuable skill. If you don’t know, look it up before asking someone else. Don’t rely on others to do it for you.
2. Curiosity: If I don’t know how to do something in my video work, I watch a YouTube tutorial and practice it that way. It’s the main way I’ve been able to grow my skill base and earn money with my skills. You have to be a little obsessed with something to be really, really good at it.
3. Protect your time: Say “no” more. I used to say yes to everything, in every aspect of my life. It gave me a lot of good, but it also gave me a lot of burnout and resentment.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
My biggest improvement has been in my self-confidence. This is largely due to getting into a sales role which is something I’ve been afraid to do. Throwing myself into making cold calls and role-playing sales strategies in front of others while having to pretend it doesn’t phase me. Doing that over and over has grown my confidence.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @caitlinwhiteparsons
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlinwhite-parsons/
Image Credits
I took the professional shots myself.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
