Barath advises to never stop learning
Name: Ryan Barath Company: PATH Employment Services Title: Community outreach co-ordinator Address: 31 King St. E., main level 1. What is your company’s mission statement?
To foster an accessible workplace and an inclusive workforce. 2. What advice have you received that has helped you the most?
To work your butt off, never stop learning, and never turn down an opportunity to better yourself. 3. Can you think of a moment in your life that pushed you to become who you are? A defining moment?
Marrying my beautiful wife and buying our first home in the city. I came to Hamilton to go to school from Port Dover and never left. She has lived here all her life. The pride as well as the responsibility of owning a home makes you grow up fast. 4. Can you think of a time in your career when things were not going well, but you managed to turn it around? How did you persevere?
I always felt that by addressing what it was instead of ignoring the problem, it resulted in coming to a solution faster. My defining moment would have to be when I committed to working in Hamilton and becoming a part of the growing economy we have here. I used to commute into Toronto five days a week and commuting eventually took its toll. 5. What are the key principles that guide you in your day-to-day life?
Be honest! No matter what the situation is, be honest and open with people ... It’s a quality of a true leader to look people in the eyes and tell them the truth. 6. What makes you laugh?
Without a doubt it’s my wife. We share a similar sense of humour, so there are lots of moments where without saying a word we can be brought to laughter. 7. What is your guilty pleasure?
Cheesecake. I have to make sure any time I buy it, it’s only by the slice. A few years ago on a trip to New York City for Christmas, I ate three Magnolia Bakery cheesecakes in one day. Let’s just say I’m just glad we walked a lot. 8. What was your first job and what did you learn from it?
My first job was working at a golf course, cleaning golf carts and picking the driving range. It involved a lot of early mornings, which taught me time management and customer service. 9. What do you do to wind down from work?
One of my other passions is beer, specifically craft beer — so much so, I took courses and studied to get my Beer Sommelier Certification. Taking the time to enjoying a well-made beer sip by sip can really help me wind down from a long day. My other passion is golf and any chance I get to play, I’m there! 10. How do you motivate people?
Help set goals and be encouraging to every individual. I think many times people try to motivate by setting unrealistic goals and that can actually be harmful to morale. 11. What is your biggest pet peeve?
It has to be disorganization. I learned early on that being organized helps with productivity and seeing things disorganized drives me crazy. 12. What are you good at?
Putting myself out there and being outgoing. It was something I used to struggle with when I was younger — I was shy and quiet. I worked hard to become more accepting of opportunity and take chances. Now it’s just part of my day to day. 13. What do you want to work on?
I am always working to improve my writing. Working in communications and also writing for beer and golf outlets has really helped me improve my thought organization and storytelling. As someone who used to hate even the idea of writing a book report, writing has become something I enjoy. 14. What’s on your bucket list?
Travelling the world with my wife and seeing as much as we can together with our daughter. That, and playing St. Andrews’ Old Course in Scotland. 15. What is Hamilton’s most valuable asset?
Hamilton’s No. 1 asset right now is the many business people who are building companies and brands from the bottom up. To have such a welcoming environment for these driven people to thrive is really helping to power Hamilton’s brand as a city to the world ... To hear someone like Guillermo del Toro call Hamilton a powerhouse of creativity, so much so that he would like to set up his own studio here, proves that we can attract world class individuals. 16. What is the city’s biggest liability?
The people and organizations that can’t see that as a whole, the city has to continue to evolve and grow to attract investment. The word investment shouldn’t be considered a negative word. “A high tide raises all ships” and as businesses grow in the city, it helps everyone across the economic spectrum. 17. How do you balance your life?
For me it’s about spending time with my young family. My wife and I just welcomed our daughter into the world, and spending time with both of them brings me so much joy. 18. What is your favourite spot in Hamilton?
This one is tough. If I had to pick just one spot, it would have to be downtown as a whole. Having such an array of restaurants and shops to choose from is obviously a plus, but it’s really the atmosphere in general that feels electric. 19. What do you think people would be surprised to know about you?
I collect antique cameras, both photo and 8-millimetre movie cameras. There is something about that old technology that continues to fascinate me. 20. What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?
Work in something you love and work your butt off. If you are good at what you do, you will be recognized for being a leader. Success is never a straight line. 21. What is your dream job?
Being involved in working with the city and growing the economy here in Hamilton. We already have an established base built for economic growth and it would be a great challenge to help continue to grow that.