February is Black History Month. Jean Augustine in 1995 passed a motion in Canada’s House of Commons to officially recognize February as the month to honor Black Canadians. I am proud to present Kunle Tauhid. Kunle is smart, intelligent, humble, and someone who works hard, an example of a successful immigrant in Canada.

Kunle Tauhid is Vice President of Financing and Consulting at BDC. The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) promotes entrepreneurship by providing highly tailored financing, venture capital, and consulting services to entrepreneurs. As the Vice President for the Financing and Consulting Business in Eastern and Northern Ontario, he is responsible for leading a team of dedicated sales force that is focused on growing existing client relationships and helping Canadian entrepreneurs achieve their goals. Kunle talks about his own journey as an immigrant to Canada.

Kunle, please tell me a little about you?

My name is Kunle Tauhid, from Nigeria, married to Esther and we have two kids, Alexandra (21) and Andrew (19) both students at York University.

Your hard work, persistence is an inspiration to me.  Walk me through your immigration to Canada, the challenges and how you ended up at BDC?

Thanks, Jerry. My family immigrated to Canada in 2002.

I was a professional banker in my native country Nigeria where I obtained a Bachelors’s degree in finance and a master’s in banking and international finance from two elite Nigerian universities. Canada is an international hub of immigrants and professionals but luckily, having come from a Commonwealth nation it was easy to get my degree accredited and recognized as an equivalent to a Canadian university, through the University of Toronto.

I had a challenge getting into the system and getting senior leadership roles. In Nigeria, I had a decade of experience in banking, of which the last 3 were in leadership roles. It was a humbling experience, which I am thankful for, to have had to start from scratch again being given an opportunity to work for RBC as a bank teller. My last role in Nigeria was as a Manager responsible for a team of professionals with all the perks such as an official car, driver, return tickets and spending allowance to Europe for vacation.

Talk a little about your faith and how it helps you daily?

As an immigrant to Canada required taking a leap of faith for both myself and my wife. We had and have no immediate family here and relied on mostly information from friends who had come earlier. Our faith in God and the comfort of knowing that we had a Church family to come to through the International Church of Christ of which we were members in Nigeria helped a lot. The Church community here helped us a lot in our initial settling down and finding resources for us and the kids. I have to confess that the transition of my career was tough. I was able to overcome the challenges, learned humility through Christ. I had highs and rejoiced and lows and I cried. However, a great combination of hard work, positive attitude, and determination never fail.

Give my audience three tips on their household finances?

First, don’t spend what you don’t have. As an immigrant to Canada coming from a cash environment taught us this lesson early.
Secondly have a budget every month. We have been married for over 23 years and never gone a month without writing out our budget. A budget that is not documented is not a budget. It saves you a lot of stress
Third have a backup plan. Save for the rainy day.

How important is it for someone to maintain their credit rating?

In North America and indeed most credit-driven economies a positive and good credit rating gives you access to opportunities. Not only do you need a good credit history for access to financing but you also need it to earn your income. Today employers as part of due diligence use one’s credit history as a determining factor to hire as it speaks to one’s character. Landlords use it to determine if one will be a good renter. I cannot overemphasize the importance of a positive credit rating and history. And there are very simple tricks to maintaining that.

Explain the different kinds of credit ratings?

In Canada, Equifax and TransUnion are the two major rating agencies and the higher one’s credit score the better their rating. They range from poor, fair, good to excellent. Good to excellent give you better access to personal and commercial credit facilities

How has becoming a husband changed your life?

Becoming a husband has made me a better man. I have been blessed by God to have a beautiful and God-fearing woman, Esther as a wife for 23 years. Lessons in humility, listening, caring, extending grace, giving people a benefit of doubt and most important having someone to share with have come from being a husband. Despite being the finance “man” of the home, the discipline of having a budget came from my wife even before we got married. I made a lot more money than her but was always broke before the next pay cycle. It was my wife (fiancé at the time) who introduced me to the concept of budgeting and since then we have not looked back.

Has your approach to life and finances changed after having children?

Not at all. With life, God comes first and we teach our children to understand the same. The values that were instilled in us by our parents, we instill in our children. The financial discipline we had before having children is what we still maintain and our kids see and luckily are embracing those values as well. They understand that credit card is not free money and is used to create a positive credit history. My daughter has a credit card but uses it to make purchases that she already has the cash to pay for and as soon it is done, she transfers money to pay off the balance even before the statement arrives.

Give new immigrants some tips, advice on how to become successful like you?

Canada is a great country and every employer wants to hire and grow with employees that will help them succeed.

As an immigrant to Canada, do not be intimidated by the color of your skin, your accent or foreign degree. This is a beautiful country that is inclusive and embraces diversity. Be confident in your abilities and skill set. Be humble. Your first job may not be the high-power job you had in your country. Take your entry-level job as your door opener that will enable you to prove your mettle and capabilities. Come daily with a positive attitude and can-do mentality. Do not settle. Do not join water cooler conversations at work. Focus on your job and give it your best daily. Your employer and manager will reward those that help them succeed. Develop yourself professionally at an earlier opportunity and keep learning and taking personal lessons. There are many free resources that can help you to be better at your job. Give back. Volunteer, be part of your community.

Most importantly hold on to your faith. God and your faith that saw you through and brought you to this country don’t change.

When we move to a new country, we need to acquire a new skill set, explain what it means to do that for the corporate world?

As an immigrant to Canada, we may never get a job exactly in the field we were in, so it is important to be open-minded. For example, my wife worked in a PR agency in Nigeria but we found out quickly that the setting was different here and so we acted quickly after trying for a couple of months. She looked at other options for a career that she would enjoy. Since she liked working with kids and had lots of fun in our Church’s children’s ministry decided to go back to school to obtain an Early Childhood Education certificate in one of the colleges here. A job was waiting for her as soon as she was done schooling and she had a good career working for YMCA starting as a daycare teacher and rising through the ranks to a manager and then Director before leaving for another opportunity.

Tell me little about your culture, and where can I find good Nigerian food in Toronto?

I am from the western part of Nigeria of the Yoruba tribe. What we call Naija proper.  There are a few good Nigerian restaurants in the west part of Toronto, especially on the Jane street axis and Weston road. There is also a popular “suya “joint in the Etobicoke area.

As an immigrant to Canada, how do you balance faith, family, finance and food in the 21st century?

The 21st century is a fast-paced era in every aspect of life. With advanced technology, family dynamics have changed. Gone are the days when as kids fun was all outside playing soccer, running around, playing in the rain. As an immigrant to Canada and to keep one’s sanity there has to be balance. I have to remember that creation was set by a higher power and our wisdom with which we make things happen here is superseded by a higher power. I remain grounded in my faith.

The post How to be a Successful Immigrant in Canada appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

In a world where relationships often flicker and fade with life’s changing seasons, some love stories shine brighter with time. Glenn and Lee Fen’s journey began over three decades ago, when two young dreamers arrived in the snowy mountains of Switzerland — Glenn from India and Lee Fen from Malaysia — both eager to study hotel management and carve their futures in hospitality. What they didn’t know then was that their greatest lifelong adventure would not be found in their careers, but in each other.

From the classrooms of Les Roches to the ski slopes of Verbier, their friendship blossomed into a deep connection that would lead to marriage, migration, and the creation of a beautiful family life in Australia. Thirty-four years later, they look back not with nostalgia alone, but with gratitude — for lessons learned, challenges overcome, and love that has only grown stronger with time.

In this heartfelt conversation, Glenn and Lee Fen open up about how they knew they were meant for each other, the early struggles of living far from family, the changes marriage brought, and the secrets to keeping their bond alive after more than three decades. Their story reminds us that true love isn’t about perfection — it’s about patience, partnership, and a shared commitment to grow together, every single day.

When did you know Glenn, that Lee Fen was the one for you? Same for Lee Fen?

G. The moment I realized that Lee Fen was so genuine, so friendly, so full of life, and so uncomplicated with her approach to life.

L. I realized that Glenn was the one for me when I was all alone on stage in a ski resort – Verbier.  In my tiny accommodation, buried under layers of snow, I felt so lonely, missing my family, and all of a sudden, I realized that Glenn was the one for me.

I am sure dating was just fine with no problems and everything was smooth…what were the challenges?

G. The challenge for me was realizing that Lee Fen was extremely outgoing and all the guys at Les Roches were her friends.  There was no room for jealousy, I realized that love is sharing.

L. The challenge for me, being so far from my big and supportive family. I had no one to discuss with my new “friend”. We were living in a student community. I had not built any close friends. Furthermore, it was prohibitively expensive to call overseas so I couldn’t ask my siblings or parents for advice either.  The beauty of the situation was that we had to resolve any challenges between ourselves, being respectful of each other, and mutual understanding.  This helped us develop and strong relationship which still stands the test of time, 34 years later.

Marriage changes you forever.  How have both of you changed over the years?

G. I guess I have more lines on my face since marriage but I would not attribute them all to my lovely wife!!! The gravitational pull in the Southern Hemisphere is probably to blame!

Looking back over the years, I am a totally changed person.  Lee Fen has helped me understand the importance of kindness, generosity, sharing, giving, and eating.  Yes, cooking and enjoying good food is an integral part of Lee Fen’s Malaysian-Chinese heritage and I am fully immersed in it.  I have also learned to speak Teochew (Chiu Chow), to help me fit in better with her parents and siblings and now consider myself an honorary member of the Goh family clan.

L. I have learned to appreciate different things and to share in what Glenn enjoys.  From being a late-riser, I now get up before dawn for early morning walks, reflection, and exercise.  From being a person who was passionate about eating, I am now more aware of the connection between our health and the future of our world through our eating habits.  I am stronger, wiser, more independent, more accepting and despite all this, I am still learning.

Marriage has its ups and downs.  However, we have to make it through.  Help me understand that in your situation?

G/L. It is very important to be able to communicate openly, without blame or judgment.  We have followed a simple rule – it’s perfectly alright to say what’s on your mind so long as you are not hurting the other person. There are no winners in this partnership because if one wins the other loses and that’s simply not acceptable.

PS from Glenn.  I used to be a person who took his grudges and disappointments un-spoken to bed believing that one could sleep away worries but after meeting Lee Fen I changed my mantra and I now believe that it is so important, most imperative, to resolve any issues and not to sleep over them because you never know if there will be a tomorrow and if you are robbed of a new day, you have lost the chance to make good.

Give the younger generation some tips on how to be a good husband/wife and mother/father?

G/L. What has worked well for us in a family situation is being open and approachable as partners and as parents.  Our children often commented in their early years that both parents would stand by each other’s decisions.  I guess it was very frustrating for our children, never being able to play off one parent against another.  This is exactly what comes out of openness and frank communication in a family.

We also had a policy of working with our children on their level, employing reason rather than a commanding and authoritarian approach.  Now with our children well into their 20’s, we can all still live together under one roof as friends, that’s no mean feat when you consider that there are always four opinions to consider.

Our “tip” for partners in a relationship or parents is: show empathy, practice selflessness and most importantly in this “me-first” age, remember to shine the spotlight on others!

Romance needs to be kept alive in a marriage…. explain (this is a family blog)?

It’s true that the excitement of a new relationship wears out in time and the way we have kept the fire going is by sharing and appreciating each other.  We always try hard to give each other our undivided attention when we need to listen, share and comment.  In this highly connected world, it is so easy to get distracted by the noise, by the sheer volume of communication, by the persuasiveness of people and media who are always screaming out for attention.  When the pressure gets too much we simply retreat to the basics – a shared meal, a walk by the beach, watching a foreign language movie, read a book and narrate the parts you find interesting, a long drive in the hills, a thank you note, a glass of our favorite drink by candlelight!  It’s true, we really do this!

I am sure you never argue, never fight, and just have this amazing perfect marriage.

The word perfect does not exist in a marriage, we believe.  Marriage is the coming together of two, very different individuals who commit being together for the rest of their lives come what may.  In other words, a recipe for disaster.  We have argued, we have fought, we have been grumpy and cranky but we have always made up and accepted blame where it was due.

Anything you want to say to your younger selves?

Aren’t you glad you followed your dreams; you went where there was no clear path to follow, you looked forward and not back and you did this together?

Who is more romantic, humbler, more gentle, kind, and passionate?

If you can find all these characteristics in one person hold that person and never let go.  Jokes aside, we strive towards these ideals but we are not yet there.  Watch this space!

What are some good restaurants in Adelaide?

We don’t do fancy, we go for simple, wholesome, passionate, true to its origins. Not all the places listed here are restaurants.  Vietnamese at Pho Ba Ria 2, Northern Italian at Andre’s Cucina, Malaysian Hawker only at Chef Lai, French Pastries at Mulot’s, Modern Australian at River Cafe, Fine Dining at Mayflower Restaurant, Wasai (Japanese), Africola….

Tell me something funny that has happened in your marriage?

Somewhere along the way we have switched identities making us think and act like the other.  We have acquired characteristics and habits from each other and sometimes one of us will finish the other one’s sentences to a comment “how did you even know what I was going to say!!!!”

We have been blessed. Long live love.

The post Glenn and Lee Fen: Marriage Made in Heaven appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.