What happens when your foundation disappears overnight? For Saleh Family, this question sits underneath their current career and fuels a conversation they rarely get to have openly. In their video, they return to a pivotal moment: the fear that social media—something that now supports their family—could vanish tomorrow.
The discussion is grounded in a real life transition. Will spent years and thousands of dollars building specialised aircraft maintenance tools—equipment you cannot simply buy from a local store. He became a licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, graduated top of his class, and built a career around contract work. Then COVID arrived and the industry changed abruptly, leaving them facing a new reality and an old question: what if the thing you rely on stops working?
Building an identity in aviation
Will’s path into aviation began with drive, discipline and a clear plan after marriage. As the couple describes it, the goal wasn’t vague ambition—it was a step-by-step route: school, licensing, contracting and a life structured around specialised work.
At the same time, the journey wasn’t purely academic. Life moved alongside training. Their timeline included working while studying, welcoming a baby during the process, and adjusting to the demands of a rapidly changing season of life.
Licensing, competition, and the drive to contract
Will explains that he graduated top of his class and was placed on the Dean’s List. He also describes taking the Canadian aircraft maintenance exam, noting how the test content differed from what he had memorised.
Immediately after obtaining his licence, he started putting out “feelers” for contracting—positions where you’re paid well because you’re brought in where expertise is needed. This style of work meant temporary roles, higher income potential, and—importantly—an expectation that you already had the tools to do the job effectively.
Specialised tools that took years to build
When you contract in aviation, Will says you must bring your own equipment. For him, that meant a toolkit built over years, carefully accumulated in layers and stored in specialised cases. And he stresses that it wasn’t an “overnight” trip to a general retailer. These tools were specific, not always easy to find, and not cheap—especially during a time when availability could be limited in Canada.
In other words, his tools weren’t just equipment. They were evidence of years of effort, training and earned capability.
The move—and the weight of keeping the tools
The couple describes how contracting work played a role in moving to Toronto, including a period where Will worked with Bombardier on a mobile repair team. During these years, his tools remained an important part of his ability to step into demanding roles.
Then came a moment that changed his relationship with that identity: as circumstances shifted, Will eventually sold the tools. The sale wasn’t just a practical decision—it was described as one of the hardest things he had to do, precisely because it represented nearly a decade of the “old” self.
COVID: when the industry contracts overnight
In their account, COVID didn’t arrive slowly. They recall the first COVID case in Canada appearing in Richmond Hill, close to where they lived. Like many, they initially tried to understand it as something limited. But soon the reality became clearer: the airline industry gutted its most experienced (and most expensive) contractors overnight, and everything changed.
This is where the video’s emotional centre lands. When your livelihood is built around specialised work that can be cut quickly, insecurity isn’t abstract—it’s immediate. And if your family depends on stability, that uncertainty becomes deeply personal.
The fear beneath their current career
After the career disruption, their conversation turns to a shared fear: what if social media disappears overnight? They ask what happens if platforms vanish, reach collapses, or the audience moves on so quickly that they can no longer relate.
They also address the role technology plays in this uncertainty. They mention AI and the scale of content removal, reflecting on how creators can feel threatened—not only by algorithms, but by sudden changes in the digital landscape.
Yet the tone remains aspirational. The couple’s message is that they cannot ignore the fear, but they also cannot freeze in it. In the era of change, creators have to evolve.
Real lessons, resilient faith, and adapting
One of the key lines from their discussion is the idea that people ultimately want something genuine—real. They suggest that even as technology shifts and platforms change, there remains value in authenticity and life lessons drawn from real experience.
They also speak about trust and planning. While they don’t claim to know the exact plan ahead, they express conviction that they were not abandoned—encouraging viewers to keep moving, keep growing and keep building even when the ground feels uncertain.
What to take from their story
- Identity can be tied to tools and roles—and transitions can be emotionally heavy.
- External shocks happen fast: COVID changed careers overnight.
- Digital reliance needs contingency thinking: what if the platform disappears?
- Evolution is not optional: if something changes, creators must adapt.
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