Sean Murch : Partner, Interactive Studio Management
Ontario-raised Sean Murch was catapulted to early success in England's film and television industry. In his early twenties, he found himself working for an animated film studio in England, brokering major film deals, making great money and enjoying the London lifestyle.
"On the surface of it, it kind of seemed like a dream come true," he remembered.
But about six months into the job, Murch began to feel uncomfortable at work. He felt some of his managers were crossing ethical lines in their use of intellectual property.
"For a long time, I sort of turned a blind eye or pretended it wasn't there and concentrated on building the business and not losing what we had built up," he said. "But at some point, it just became too much for me – the difference in values was too extreme for me to ignore any more."
Murch said he tried to get the company to change its practices – but to no avail. And so he made the difficult decision to quit – even though it meant sacrificing a work visa and the chance to keep the career momentum he had in England.
"I ended up moving back to Canada with nothing," he said. "It was very difficult not only to make the decision to leave but also to walk away from some compelling incentives to stay."
But Murch said it was the right move – not just ethically but from a career standpoint.
"It was really taking away my drive, because I was no longer believing in what we were building and the value of that."
Murch came to Vancouver in 1994 and rebooted his career in the city's young, vibrant videogame sector. He now brokers deals for videogame agency Interactive Studio Management.
Murch said not only did he land on his feet – he also learned a valuable lesson about keeping career aligned with values.
"I think it contributes to a lot more success because you're a lot more clear about what it is that you want and who you are."
He added that that early experience has made it easier to tackle values clashes since – whether by challenging an organization or, if necessary, leaving.
"It was much quicker for me to make those decisions afterwards because I'd already built those neuropathways and decided that [aligned values at work] were important to me," he said. "Once you make a decision like that, it really sticks."
On core values
"Once you clarify what your core values are and make a decision to stay away from situations that compromise those values and move toward situations that really resonate with you in terms of your value system, it really gives you a lot of strength. It gives you confidence. It increases your self-awareness. It makes you more decisive. You start looking for opportunities that are more meaningful and aligned better with what you are and what you want to do."
