Pursuit 365 Day 158: Michele Young-Crook

Michele Young-Crook is a mixed heritage Algonquin and a mother of three.

She has been featured in magazines and articles about her advocacy for Indigenous women in the corporate space and entrepreneurship. Michele is currently the founder of three eCommerce businesses and a consulting firm.

If you could give your past self some advice, what would you tell yourself?

I would tell myself that you are a lot stronger than you think, you are a lot smarter than you think and that everything you are going through is shaping you to be someone who will make a difference and help others.

Do you have a mantra or phrase you live by? What is it?

“If it doesn’t bring you joy, don’t do it.” For a long time, I gave too much energy to things that didn’t make me feel satisfied or I was making a difference in the grand picture. Now I am more conscious of what I am doing and who I am doing things with.

What is your number one priority when it comes to your career and daily work?

Since 2022 I have pivoted my priorities substantially. Now I only choose to work with those I want to and align with my values. When juggling the many things I have on the go, I make sure I schedule in “Me” time. I Was always in such a go-go mentality, and until I stepped back recently, I didn’t realize how much that was affecting my family, mental and physical health.

What do you have going on that you’d like to share?

I just finished writing a series of non-fiction children’s books that will be published in May. I have also launched a Tik Tok account with my friend. I did stand-up comedy for four years before my role as a CEO, and I wanted to get back into it, and Tik Tok seemed like a great platform to start.

What keeps you motivated on a daily basis?

My children, hands down, keep me motivated, and they are why I have grown so much in the past few years. We started a weekly family check-in, which truly put things in perspective. I now make sure when it comes to business that whatever I am taking on doesn’t take away from them like it used to. When I was climbing the corporate ladder in my previous role, I sacrificed more than my time.