Today’s Notable Young Professional is Eric McEwan, who’s currently exercising his passion as the General Manager of high-end grocery store McEwan in Toronto’s financial district. We caught up with him to find out what inspired his career path and how he defines success…
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WORK
Describe what you do in less than 140 characters. Go.
I manage a high-end grocery store called McEwan located in the TD Tower (Toronto), and its catering division.
What was the inspiration for your career route?
When my dad built our first store in 2009 he wanted it to be a family project and since that day I have been all in! My father has always been my inspiration. I watch his work ethic and passion and try to emulate this in my day-to-day career.
What is the most memorable milestone in your career so far?
Opening our new store in the TD Centre was one of the hardest and most stressful things I have ever done; being a part of this project from the start was a huge learning experience that I will always remember.
Where do you see yourself in five years, 10 years, 20 years?
Five years from now, I see myself working harder than ever before.
Do you have any advice for other young professionals?
Treat others the way you expect to be treated.
Do you support any charities? If so, which one(s) and why is it (or they) important to you?
We work directly with Second Harvest, which distributes rescued food to over 200 community agencies around Toronto.
What is one major challenge that you’ve had to overcome in your career? How did you overcome it?
Being the son of the owner has been challenging – other employees either give you too much slack or none at all. I overcome this by working harder and longer than the rest.
What does the word notable mean to you?
Being looked up to and leading by example.
PLAY
Where is your favourite place to wine/ dine in your city and why?
Campagnolo is my favourite destination to dine outside of our own family restaurants as they make me feel like I’m at home. There’s not one meal I can remember where I have left disappointed.
What’s the most visited website on your Internet browser? The most played song on your phone?
The website I visit the most is Toronto Life. I can’t stop listening to “I Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weeknd.
Who’s one person you think everyone should be following on social media?
There’s no one individual. I tend to follow my friends and family only.
What’s your favourite country to visit and why? And what’s the next one you plan on travelling to?
I have travelled much of Italy, where I made many fond memories and I hope to get back to soon. My next planned vacation is a snowboarding trip to Japan with my girlfriend.
What gives you the greatest FOMO?
Missing a great cottage weekend with family and friends.
What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
I could play golf all day, every day.
What’s something you wish you didn’t spend so much money on? What’s something you wish you spent more on?
I probably spend far too much money on golf. Between equipment and clothing, there’s no end. When I look back on it I should have put that money towards lessons.
And finally, what does success look like to you? Work, play, or otherwise…
Success to me is happiness. In the end, if I’m not happy in what I am doing, then why am I doing it? This doesn’t only pertain to work success, I also relate it to life.
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