bizwomen

Learning Through Play

2012-01-22T17:52:00.000-05:00

As I sat on the floor counting and sorting out Lego, myhusband was shaking his head, quizzing me on why I was doing this.

It was all in preparation for an exercise we were doing at aCompany of Women dinner. Now interactivesessions are always a bit of a gamble, especially if the people there reallydon’t want to play. Fortunately, thewomen were more than ready to tap into their creativity and go with the flow.

Divided into groups by industry, the task was for thedifferent teams to brainstorm ways that they could work together and uponreaching consensus, build a Lego structure that would best illustrate theirproposed project.

It was actually quite fascinating and served to remind me ofhow when we chose a career we naturally gravitate towards work that suits ourpersonality style. I am actually a trained True Colours/Personality DimensionsTrainer but it’s not something I have done in some time, yet that’s really whatwe did on Tuesday night.

We had three groups – Business to Business (B2B), Health andBeauty and Home/Finances and each model revealed the underpinnings of theparticipants’ personality style.

True to form, the folks who made up the B2B group, developeda business toolbox, through which small business owners could remove the chaosin their lives. This group represented virtual assistants, bookkeepers, graphicdesigners and HR specialists, all of whom are organized, and detailed oriented.They’d thought through their business plan and done the math.

At the other end ofthe spectrum, the Health and Beauty group which was made up of spa owners, lifecoaches and health service providers were more interested in reaching out andhelping other women feel better about themselves. They wanted to reduce thesense of isolation for women going through cancer, divorce, abuse, etc… Money never even came up in the discussion.

Five minutes prior to the end of the exercise, thegroup, mainly made up of financialprofessionals, had no sculpture on the board. Nothing. But one of the team quickly erected acreative model that represented their project.

This group wanted to develop a website that would providepeople with vital information which would assist them in connecting toprofessionals in the instance of a difficult life situation such as cancerdiagnosis or an accident. They’d worked on revenue streams to make the projectfinancially viable and where they differed from the Health and Beauty Team wasthat their project focused on providing education and information, whereas theother group wanted the women to feel better through the services provided.

Despite their tardystart, the financial planners won.

This exercise truly reminded me of the validity ofpersonality type programs as each group was consistent to their colourtype. The B2B group were gold –organized, structured and wanting to help, while the Health and Beauty teamwere blue, the colour most interested in supporting people and for whom, moneyis a necessary evil. This group finds ithard to invoice or chase up payments.

And as for the financial planners, they were green – lifelong learners who take a logical approach, spending more time on planning sothat when they deliver, every detail has been thought through.

Now we did have onecolour missing– oranges – they would be your event planners, actors, performersor recreation specialists.

Years ago I did a similar exercise with a group of seniors,assigning them with the task of designing the perfect centre for seniors. It was equally fascinating to see how peopleof all ages and backgrounds, still came forward with suggestions that were sotrue to their personality styles.

What did they come up with? The oranges wanted a multi-rail system that would take them to thedifferent recreational activities offered throughout the facility. The blues – the romantics, wanted a datingservice. The golds wanted storage space and the greens, well they were stillthinking about it.

All of which goes to show that when we choose the rightcareer for ourselves, we are being true to our personality style.

Growing Your Business

2012-01-14T16:37:00.000-05:00

What’s the best thing you ever did for your business? I can think of a couple of steps I took. First I joined a mastermind group and later after I had been in business seven years, I hired a business coach.

Both involved some commitment on my part. I had to invest in myself, put out some money and do the homework but the return on investment was well worth it.

Why? With a mastermind group you quickly learn that you are not alone with your fears and frustrations. Not only do others feel the same way, but together you can learn and create some practical solutions. Helping others realize their truth is also rewarding, as you start to realize a) you do know something and b) you can be a useful resource.

So you don’t just learn from the business coach leading the group, you benefit from the objective input from your peers. And you need to leave your ego at the door. One time I remember presenting a sponsorship package I’d crafted. I thought I’d done a pretty good job but after a few choice comments from a marketing expert in the group, I realized my work was not done and it was back to the drawing board.

However, it is the accountability that takes you the furthest. Having to report back each month makes you do the work. Excuses won’t wash and it is hard if you have to ‘fess up that you haven’t completed the task assigned. You also build a support network for yourself, one that lasts well beyond the six-month group meetings.

Having a business coach was the next step up, but this is not always an affordable option for everyone. Her undivided attention for an hour on my business and my challenges, was well worth the money. The process also boosted my confidence, helping me realize that actually I did have business savvy, I just needed to fine tune where I spent my time and money.

And just like counselling, there comes a time when you don’t need that support any more and you can stand on your own two feet, happy in the knowledge that, on the most part, you are headed in the right direction.

As you look at what you need to do this year and what you want to accomplish, I really encourage you to consider joining a mastermind group. You won’t regret it and it is well worth the investment of your time and money. And aren’t you worth it?

Company of Women has several mastermind groups starting in January and February – for the new entrepreneur, more seasoned business owner and an online group as well. Check out our website to learn more – www.companyofwomen.ca

Staying ahead and afloat – reinvent your business

2012-01-08T14:24:00.005-05:00

Iremember years ago hearing an early childhood educator explaining that inchildren's art, whatever is important to them is usually larger than life, andout of proportion because that was their focus. At that time, when I looked atmy young daughter's sculpture of herself, sure enough, the earrings weremassive (she desperately wanted to get her ears pierced).

Ifyou relate this concept to your business, I wonder if we tend to focus most onwhat is important to us rather than what is of crucial interest to our clientsor customers? In other words, we've maybe taken our eyes off the ball and beenall consumed with getting the word out about our product or service, when weare not even speaking the right language, one that translates well to ourtarget audience.

Ittherefore pays to look at the big picture -- of your own business and everyoneelse's rather than focusing on one aspect, no matter how important it may be toyou. It's a changing world of business, and if our businesses are to survive,we need to be flexible and prepared to change how we do business. It's time toreflect, rethink and redesign what we do.

Easiersaid than done. Many of us are locked into delivering our products and servicesin one way, but it behooves us to look beyond that and truly reflect on whatour customers need and want, not what suits us to provide for them or whatmakes us the most profit. Remember if no one is buying, you're not making moneyat all.

Wheredo you start?

1.Check in with your customers. Find out what are the pressing issues andchallenges they face. They will be pleased to be asked.

2.Look to see if there is a fit with something you could offer to relieve theirpressures or address their problems.

3.Revisit your offerings, ask yourself what could still be offered but re-tweakedand packaged in a different way.

4.In this tight economy, people are looking for value for money. Do the math,number-crunch the figures and see how you can come up with something that isaffordable, but still allows you to make a profit.

5.People like to feel they are getting a deal. Be prepared to give something awayin order to attract them to your business and other purchases.

6.Once you have decided on your new track, let your customers know. Thank themfor their input.

7.Consider starting up or reviving your ezine so customers frequently hear fromyou. Make sure you provide value-added information and don't just promote yourbusiness.

8.Use social media -- like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to spread the word. Theprice is right.

Andlike the earrings, just because you want something badly doesn't always meanthat it will happen straight away, sometimes you just have to wait until thetime is right.

Your Success is Our Business

2012-01-02T12:42:00.001-05:00

Like many women, I am uncomfortable selling my “wares” especially when that actually equates to selling myself.

However, after hearing our guest speaker Kim Duke, I have a new attitude. “Think of ‘sale” as a four-letter word.” advises Kim “And replace it with another one – ‘help.’

Now that I could get. So often what we have to sell is solving a problem for someone else so in other words, we are helping them. I like that way of looking at it. I like the idea that what I have to offer is making a difference, and when I can get past myself, yes, this sale approach could work.

What are you selling? What problem are you solving? Does this perspective change your outlook on sales? When I used to run classes for women starting a business, one of the big questions we asked was what business are you in? Often it was not that obvious to the newbie owner.

For example, it could be said that through Company of Women I am in the networking business. But I would rather say that I am in the business of hope - inspiring women to realize their potential – personally and professionally. In other words, your success is our business. When I look at it this way, I feel empowered to sell, to help women connect with one another and with all that we have to offer.

So what business are you in? Think about it. Perhaps this different take on what you do, will help you sell and achieve your goals.

The Takeover

2011-12-28T17:09:00.001-05:00

I was super-organized for this Christmas. By the time the office closed on December 20, the gifts had been bought and wrapped; the food purchased and stocked in the fridge and freezer and the tree stood erect and decorated all ready for the best of the season.

Just as well. Talk about the best laid plans…. From the time we closed the office, I was sick, coming down with some dreaded flu bug, and forced to retreat to my bed where I could be heard barking and coughing all day.

Now I am not someone who usually capitulates to a sniffle or two. Being of strong Scottish blood, I have been trained to carry on regardless but I tell you, I was beat with this one. Not only did I miss several local parties, but my kids had to rally round and cook Christmas dinner.

And I have to say, I was totally impressed with how they took charge. They assigned the tasks, divided up the chores and wouldn’t let me darken the doors of the kitchen. And while I was proud of them, you could tell they were pretty pleased with themselves too because the meal was great and Christmas was saved.

It was also pretty nice to just sit and have the meal prepared and cleared away by someone else. I could get used to this but they’ve already told me it was a one-off. Normal service is to resume next year.

Too bad.

Saving grace

2011-12-21T08:53:00.002-05:00

“I don’tdo vulnerable” I confessed to myfriend. But years ago when I was goingthrough chemo and my kids were little, I did just that. I had to. I needed friends to drive me to and from my treatments, to pick up thegirls and help prepare meals. And I will always be grateful to the team offriends who rallied round to support us.

I thinkof this as I receive help once again. This time it is business-related. I am usually the one offering assistance – be it to friends or womenstarting out in their business. So itfeels strange to be on the receiving end and I am trying to accept thegenerosity with grace.

Companyof Women’s magazine Company, has beenmy pride and joy for the last four years. But as anyone in the publishing/printing business will tell you – thisindustry is hurting, big time. Up untilnow, I have been using my own money to bale it out as advertising sales droppedand continued to drop, but a month ago I had to admit to myself that I couldn’tkeep doing that.

Enter MicheleBailey of blazing the Agency. Michelehas a successful marketing agency, complete with design studio and over coffee,she generously offered to have her studio design the upcoming issue of Company,which ironically is about partnerships and collaboration. This is HUGE and enables me to use theadvertising dollars I collected to cover the costs of printing.

I can’tbegin to tell you how grateful I am to Michele. Not just for having the work done, but for her faith that our small, butmighty publication deserved to be saved. I have always talked about women helping women, but now I have lived it.

So Company is off life support andbreathing on its own for now.

ThanksMichele.

PS Watch for your copy coming out in late January, 2012

Why?

2011-12-16T23:06:00.001-05:00

Christmas is a hard time for many people, especially for those who have just lost a family member or friend.

To commit suicide always seems such a desperate and selfish act to me, as family members are left to pick up the pieces, always questioning what they could have done to avert this tragic action; what cues they missed and what they could have done differently.

So to commit suicide a week before Christmas seems the ultimate selfish act to me. Why? It sounds almost flip to ask this, but couldn’t you have waited? Now every Christmas your family is left with the haunting memory of your death.

It does make you wonder what drives people to take such drastic steps. And I am not immune to this. I have a cousin who tragically took her own life on the birthday of her son, who she had to give up for adoption, at a time when it was not socially acceptable to keep your child as a young, single mother. I often think of Eileen and reflect how differently it could have been if she’d just lived a decade later when her life choice would have been more acceptable.

But what a waste. And how hurtful for the surviving family.

None of us knows what happens behind closed doors or closed minds. It speaks to the power of depression and mental health challenges which are insidious but eat away at a person’s ability to logically combat and fight against all the negative feelings that they hold close inside. It tells you how for some the force of negativity and feelings of hopelessness are too strong and outweigh the ability to see options beyond the current situation.

So I find the sudden and tragic death of a young man we knew, who has a young family, just beyond my comprehension. I just keep thinking why? What could have been so bad that it warranted such drastic action? Why? And why now?

My heart goes out to the widow and her two young daughters. I hope they find the strength and peace to accept what has happened.

Lost in the Woods

2011-12-11T17:55:00.001-05:00

The one badge I never passed when I was in the Brownies, wasmap reading. A skill, my husband wouldattest, I have still not acquired. Sooften when the kids were little and we escaped for a romantic interlude, we’dbarely be speaking by the time we had reached our destination. My navigationskills left a lot to be desired, and of course, he wouldn’t dream of asking fordirections.

Well, the other night I got lost again. This time I was with a girlfriend and we’dbeen to visit a new friend in her home. We got there OK, but coming home was anotherstory.

One of the challenges of living in the country is at night,it is dark and one tree looks like another. The road signs are hard to see, if there at all. So we literally drove around in circles andwhenever we reached a junction, I’d suggest turning one way and my friendanother.

Eventually at one point I joked that I knew what my friendneeded for Christmas – a GPS. “Oh I haveone “ she replied. “It’s under the seat.” I laughed out loud and questioned why we hadn’t been using it.

Well we dug it out and sure enough it got us home. We were miles away and definitely off thebeaten track.

It made me think of when we start a business. We don’t know what we don’t know, so eager tolearn we listen to all the advise people are quick to give us. And likedeciding which way to turn, it isoften conflicting. Who do you listen to? Someone, or something like the GPS, that hasmore expertise, who knows how to help you get there, preferably on the shortestroute possible and with no tolls.

My advice? If you are a newbie to business, turn to expertslike accountants, lawyers, marketing gurus for advice. Filter the other suggestions and listen toyour gut. Consider getting a business coach. Otherwise you too could be going around in circles, lost in the woods.

That Final Event

2011-12-04T07:30:00.000-05:00

I have reached the age of maturity when much of my timelately has been spent going to the funerals of friends, my peers.

I know this trend will only continue as we all get older butit really doesn’t make it any easier to take.And of course it makes me face my own mortality.

I often come back with a few more notes for my funeral fileon what I want and don’t want when I finally check out. My daughters think I am joking – I do have ablack sense of humour – but more and more, it makes sense to think ahead. Plusas someone who has made a career out of putting on events, of course I want asay in that final one.

1. I don’t want any fancy coffin – rent one if you like.

2. No, I repeat, no open casket. As thefashionista I prefer to be in control of how I look and likely someone will puton the wrong jewelry that doesn’t match with the entire ensemble.

3. I want to select the photos now. Years ago my daughter held a surprisebirthday party for me, with a gallery of photos chosen based on the criteria, Ibelieve, that I looked dreadful in the photo. None of that.

4. Talking of photos, the family better startclicking now because there are no recent ones of me.

5. Have some stirring; lively hymns that areupbeat and everyone can burst forth into song.

6. Havea private family service early on and a Celebration a few weeks later, whenfamily and friends feel less raw and ready to party

7. Nodreary speeches – make people laugh, that’s always been my motto and hey I haveprovided enough material for you to share some funny stories about me. In fact, with some advance notice, I couldeven write a few.

8. Havea party – celebrate each other – some good food, wine and company. (Will justbe sorry to miss it.)

But I plan to stick around for a while yet – I mean there’sa lot to organize.

There’s a quote from Tuesday’swith Morrie that I have always found comforting –

“Death is the end ofa life, not a relationship.”

So even when I am not here, I am.

Tough Times

2011-11-30T18:52:00.001-05:00

I have just heard of the demise of two long-standingbusinesses – Homemakers magazine andPOWE (Power of Women Exchange). It’skind of a wake up call to this changing economic climate. Businesses that were doing well one day, andare gone the next.

And as someone who publishes a magazine, I know how tough itis. We are down to two issues this yearand even that is pushing it. I amgrateful to all the advertisers who have stuck by us and the writers andcolleagues, like Michelle Bailey from Blazing the Agency, who have ralliedround to make sure we continue.

As for POWE, I really feel for Lia and Tina who started theorganization. It is so hard to close thedoors on something that you know was making a difference, and which you havepoured so much of yourself into making it happen.

One argument might be that there isn’t a need forwomen-based business organizations, but I don’t think so. It’s more that we need to pay attention towhat is happening, adjust what we are offering so we continue to providemeaningful, real experiences for women.

It reminds me of when I ran mothers’ groups for Children’sAid. Obviously their mandate was toimprove the women’s parenting skills, but when they didn’t have enough money toput food on the table or were worried about when the next blow would come fromtheir abusive partner, teaching parenting skills seemed a bit futile.

Like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the women needed basiclife skills and once those basic needs were met, and they felt better aboutthemselves, then they would be more willing to tackle their parenting skills.

Likewise, for the past nine years we have put on event afterevent, brought in amazing speakers and helped women learn and connect with oneanother. But I am not convinced thatthis is what is needed now in today’s climate. Yes, we all need to continue learning, and we will still bring in thespeakers and cover topics of interest to business owners at all levels. But ifyou are worried and feeling all alone, finding out that others feel the sameway and that they have some solutions to share, can really change your reality.

People seem to be hunkering in. Let’s face it, when money is short and youare feeling discouraged about your business, the last thing you feel like doingis shelling out even more money so you can put on a mask and pretend all iswell with the world.

No, it is time for some honesty, some authenticity and somedown-to-earth, practical conversations. We can support one another. Wecan problem-solve together and yes, we can get through this challenging period,and not only survive, but thrive.

As the Dalai Lama said “ It is worth remembering that thetime of greatest gain in terms of wisdom, and inner strength is often that ofgreatest difficulty.”

So don’t give up on networking. Yes, meeting people online is one alternative, and I maybeold-fashioned, but I still like meetingpeople face-to-face.

Fast Forward to Next Year's Trends

2011-11-27T15:43:00.001-05:00

Looking for what will be hot in 2012? A recent article in Entrepreneur highlighted ten trends that will shape business nextyear, and for website and softwaredevelopers it would seem the sky’s the limit as nearly each trend hastechnology implications.

More and more we are relying on information, feedback andrecommendations from others to help us in our decision-making, Knowledgeis power. In a 2010 study it was foundthat 62 percent of online retail shoppers think product recommendations areuseful. With sites offeringrecommendations on products, restaurants, decision-making does become easier.So how can you tap into this trend? Atminimum, ask for referrals and make sure your testimonials are front and centreon your website.

Collaborativecommerce speaks to the increase in businesses interested in sharing,bartering, lending and renting goods, skills, money, space or services. TakeGetaround, it’s a social car-sharing service that enables a car owner to make moneyby renting out their car when it is not being used. Or TaskRabbit which is like an eBay forerrands. What services do youneed? Is there someone you can barterwith? We actually will be talking aboutcollaboration at our January Oakville dinner.

More and more customers are wantingproducts customized to their needsand they are willing to pay for these special orders – be it chocolates, shoesand jewelry. Closer to home, MeganBarnes with her customized play mats for children can testify to this growingtrend, with orders flooding in from all over the world for her product.

New electronic devices, like the tablet, give people mobility and make it easier to workfrom home or while on the road. Anyapplications that can further increase their productivity will be successful inthe year ahead. Are you accessing useful apps on your mobile phone? Consider checking out what is available toyou. You might be surprised.

Today resources are available to foster creativity and help creative artists sell their wares. Websites like Etsy, an online marketplace fordirect-from-the-artist crafts clocked up $314 million in sales last year. While other sites like skillshare.com sellin-person lessons on everything from guitar to gardening and with Blurb, authorscan self-publish bookstore quality books or produce photographic journals.

The push for food grown locally is growing. As a society weare more concerned about what we eat and what we put into our bodies. With urban farming, people in cities are convertingtheir back yards into vegetable gardens; public places are being developed toinclude community gardens; and local farmers markets are turning into socialgathering spots where the community collects and supports its local farmers.

The popularity of social gaming devices has been evergrowing, but gamification isactually looking at “how to use game-design thinking to non-game applicationsto make them more fun and engaging.” explains Nathan Landes, founder of Gamify,which has developed a product that allows individuals and brands to gamifytheir own virtual space.

Simplicity andauthenticity are the current driving forces behind design. It is about moving back to basics. Several websites aremarketing design products. With theincreased interest in industrial design, the Rhode Island School of Design, is equipping its graduates with“artrepreneur starter kits” inpreparation for this growing market.

High intense boot camps proved more popular this yearcompared to fitness centres where people join but never go. Software designers are also capitalizing onthis extreme fitness, developingboot camp apps that let its users develop their own circuit training workout.

With unemployment at an all time high, online tools such asLinkedIn are linking people to jobsthrough social media. Entrepreneur reckons “the employmentsupport sector is rife with opportunity.” New software apps, for example, arebeing developed to make it easier for job-seekers to post their resumes onnumerous job sites at the same time.

Regardless of your business or industry, if you are notonline, don’t have a website presence or are not taking advantage of all thenew software and apps out there, you may well find yourself on a desertisland.

One fast growing trend for sure is that technology ischanging faster than anything, and now is the time to get on board.

Power of Women

2011-11-20T16:02:00.001-05:00

Recently I witnessed first hand the strength of womenworking together to support one another.

I was attending the WeConnect conference which brought womenentrepreneurs from across Canada to learn more about how to tap intocorporations that operate supplier diversity programs – i.e. they encourage andsupport women-owned businesses to apply for their contracts.

The group I was in had spent an hour discussing the meritsof mentorship and how best to run a mentoring program that was a win-win forall involved. The challenge was findingthe necessary funds to run the program in a professional and organizedfashion.

The recorder for our discussion group then reported back tothe whole audience and advised them that we needed $15,000 to make the programhappen. She worded it in such a way thatit became almost like a live auction and before we knew it, one woman businessowner offered up $5,000 towards the program and within ten minutes, $12,000 hadbeen raised.

It was a magic moment and demonstrates how as women we have the power and influence to makethings happen.

Kudos to all who signed up. And yes, my cheque is in the mail.

Mistaken Identity

2011-11-10T07:30:00.000-05:00

I had been looking after mydaughter’s cat – Phoenix – while she was away on vacation. Now Phoenix is an indoor cat who often sitsby the back patio door looking out longingly at the great outdoors, anxious toexplore it for herself. So we take greatcare to lock the door after the dog has gone out as we don’t want her toescape.

So you can imagine my horror when I came back one evening tosee a black and white cat sitting on the front door step. My immediate thought and horror was thatsomehow I had let the cat out and my daughter would never forgive me.

On getting closer, I started to reflect on Phoenix’scolouring – all white, with some black. This cat was the complete opposite – allblack with some white. In mypanic I was struggling to remember exactly what Phoenix looked like, so I was still second-guessing myself andrushed into the house shouting “Phoenix, Phoenix.” Timid by nature, she eventually showed herself and I gave abig sigh of relief when she appeared.

I had nearly scooped that cat into the house. Just imagine my daughter’s surprise when she came home to find not one happy well-fed cat, buttwo!

Speaking Out Loud

2011-11-03T07:30:00.000-04:00

While I am getting much more comfortable with publicspeaking, my interview at the Toronto Women’s Bookstore made me morenervous. Mostly because I didn’t knowthe questions and therefore couldn’t rehearse my answers. I’ve never been someone who felt confidentspeaking off the top of my head. Andthen there was the reading out loud – I had to read two or three sections frommy book.

First, which ones do I choose? And second, and probably more important, Isuck at reading out loud. I always went to great lengths to avoid this atschool, where there was the expectation that the students in leadership roles(I was one) would frequently read to thewhole assembly.

Well you know what… it was OK. Actually it was more than OK, it was prettygood. What I had forgotten is that whenyou know your topic (which was me and my book), you know the answers. On reflection there were a couple of things Iprobably shouldn’t have said – being critical of a well-known entrepreneur –but hey, take a number, there are manywho take pot shots at him.

My thanks to friends who came in to be supportive,especially those who drove in from Oakville. It was lovely to see some familiar faces and it made the whole eventseem like a friendly conversation between friends. Annemarie Shrouder was acharming host who made you feel comfortable and at ease and she seemed to havegenuinely liked my book, which helps.

So my advice to those of you facing a demon or taking a risk– just do it. It is usually worse in yourhead than in reality.

Learn From My Mistakes

2011-10-27T07:30:00.000-04:00

I have been in business for myself for ten years now soyou’d think I would learn and not repeat mistakes from the past.

Maybe it is menopause and my short term memory is shot, butyet again, I find myself feeling ripped off and while I am loath to admit it, Iam partly to blame.

It actually all boils down to communication, or the lack ofit. Just like with teenagers, you haveto ask the right questions and when you don’t, you forge ahead withmisinformation and make assumptions - a dangerous way to go. When you don’t have the full picture of whatis involved, you proceed unaware that trouble lurks around the corner.

So what have I learned this time?

1. When you don’t know, what you don’t know – ask thesilly questions, do your homework and have the other person explain in fullwhat is involved in the project and for how much.

2. Get it in writing, spelling out exactly what will bedone and what each component will cost and how the person will be reimbursed,with a payment schedule.

3. Be specific on what you want, why you want it and howthe end product will be used.

4. Don’t expect other people to resolve problems in theway you would and then you won’t be disappointed.

I guess I am just a lifelong learner.

Beyond the Writing

2011-10-20T07:30:00.000-04:00

When I was pregnant I remember focusing so much on gettingthrough the childbirth, that I gave little thought to what happens after thedelivery.

Likewise, I put all my energies into writing my book andgetting the message right, that I paid little attention to how we were going tosell and market the book, once it was published.

In fact, in my book Day to Day – Tales of business, life andeverything in between, I compare starting a business with motherhood. As in both instances you can go through sucha wide range of emotions, from joy and excitement to out and out fear andself-doubt that you are not up for the role – be it as a parent or as anentrepreneur. Well I now want to add publishing a book to being similar togiving birth.

In fact, authoring a book is a whole new career and for uscreative types, sales is not always our forte. Truth be told, it makes me downright uncomfortable. I can do a great job selling and marketingother people’s products, but my own – and my own book about myself to boot, itis just not happening very easily.

Silly really becauseI know I have an important message to share. It is almost as if I expect people to know this through osmosis and buythe book anyway. And I have heard fromthose who have bought it, that it is a good read, which is reassuring and goodto know.

So trust me all you would-be authors, just like childbirth,writing the book is just the beginning. It’s a whole new world out there and I, for one, am taking toddler stepsas I learn the ropes.

Be True to Yourself

2011-10-13T07:30:00.000-04:00

Are you running a business or pursuing a hobby? challenged Pat Mussieux, our speaker at arecent dinner event. Good question.

So much depends on why you started your business in thefirst place and what your end goal is and lastly your definition of success.

For many women, turning a hobby into a business is a logicalnext step but that doesn’t mean that they want to make lots of money, but morethat they want to lead a productive life and pursue a passion. Does that mean they are not true “businessowners?”

I’d argue that they are, but their definition of success isdifferent. For each and every one of us,our definition will vary. The key is tobe true to your own.

We all strive for different things out of our businesses, andyes, when you have to put food on the table, you need to be more driven tosucceed, you have to be. But for some,the motivation is more about taking control of our lives or living a meaningfullife that makes a difference in the lives of others.

I’d hate for us to get into the same competition from yearsgone by, when stay-at-home moms and those who worked outside the home, eachconsidered themselves better than the other.

Why you start, pursue and build a business is your choiceand how big you want to make it, is up to you. Don’t let others determine your definition of success. Let’s respect thedecisions others make and not compare or compete with one another on who is a“real” entrepreneur. We all are, to onedegree or another.

Taking risks

2011-10-06T07:30:00.000-04:00

I have been talking and writing a lot lately about takingrisks, stepping out of your comfort zone.

One of my suggestions to get used to the concept, is to justdrive home a different way and deciding I should practice what I preach, that’swhat I did today.

I was feeling quite adventurous as I went straight ahead,instead of turning right. First thing Inoticed was a local hotel where a friend will be staying next month. Good toknow, it’s not actually where I thought it was.

Next as I turned the corner I noticed several large trucksand a young woman holding a stop sign. My first thought was to be pleased that there was a woman working on thesite. That generous thought lasted twominutes, maybe three max, as the traffic came to a standstill. Five minutes later we were all stillthere. Nothing was moving either way.

Eventually being the A type personality that I am, alongwith the other less patient drivers, I did a three-point turn and got back ontothe main road and came home the usual way, thwarted in my attempt to stepoutside my travelling box.

So what did I learn from this little escapade? There were no signs warning you of the roadworks ahead, but then in life, we don’t see flashing neon signs of dangereither. You just have to deal with thecards you are dealt with, make a decision and move on or in this instance, turnaround.

Instead of being in autopilot, I was much more observantthan usual, taking note of my surroundings. It isn’t wrong to take a risk, but like anythingyou do for the first time, it could take you longer than you think to reachyour destination!

But hey nothing ventured, nothing gained. I now know wherethe hotel is.

Be Real, Get a Life

2011-09-29T07:30:00.000-04:00

For the past twenty-one years I have lived with cancer. And I have done so privately. I haven’t beensecretive about being a “cancer survivor” but I have chosen not to let cancerdefine who I am. It is something thathappened to me, but it is not me. Yes,it has shaped who I have become and what I have chosen to do, but it is not me.

But recently I have decided to speak up more – not because Iwant sympathy or a pity party, but more because I recognize I have a message toconvey.

I see too many people who do not realize or appreciate thatwe have one life to live and it could change on a dime.

I see too many people who do not realize their fullpotential out of fear, not stepping forward to shine.

I see too many people who sweat over the small stuff when ittruly doesn’t matter in the scheme of things. Get rid of the negativity in your life, you don’t need or deserve it.

That’s why I wrote my book. And my message is – live life now. Surround yourself with people whobelieve, love and support you. Do whatyou are meant to do…now and take that risk, swallow your fear and become whoyou are supposed to be.

Another Four-Letter Word to Ban

2011-09-22T07:30:00.000-04:00

Soon. As a child that seemed like a vague term given just to pacify you and make you believe that whatever you wanted would be happening…. well, soon. As an adult, it’s a cop-out.

And in the six years since we bought the farm, that is what we’ve heard about high speed Internet. How does the ad go… Coming soon to a neighbourhood near you. Well high speed may have come to numerous neighbourhoods near us, but it ain’t here yet.

Some of you may be wondering what the big deal is? Remember dial up? How s..l..o..w it was? After a couple of years of tying up the phone line and still not getting great service, we gave in and went to satellite. Now this is not an inexpensive option and while faster than dial-up, high-speed it is not. It is also very fickle – and very sensitive to the weather – so if we have had a storm, it has rained, or a bit of snow… forget it.

Lately there has been a rumour that we are getting high-speed …soon. But I am somewhat cynical and it can’t come quick enough for me.

Word of advice to advertisers – forget the word soon – be specific – you might get more buy-in then.

Time Strapped? Revisit How You Spend Your Time

2011-09-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

Like many women there are times when I feel time-strapped tofit everything in. So I was interestedto read an article on how to get an extra hour out of my day.

There are several culprits that eat away at our time – toomany face-to-face meetings when a decision could just be made without themeeting. For the perfectionist, procrastination was another time guzzler, asthe strive to make something perfect stopped us starting in the first place.The article also touched on our inability to value and use free time withoutfeeling guilty. When you own a business,the day is never done and if you work from home, it is even harder to closethat door and leave the work behind.

Certainly in terms of meetings, I get a lot of requests forface-to-face meetings and much as I love to meet with people, I am finding itharder to do and have become stricter about with whom I meet.

One screening tool I have introduced of late is askingpeople to send me information in writing, so I can determine if it is worth ourtime getting together or whether we can just talk over the phone. I often thenhear nothing and the request fades away. That’s when I know it is not a win-win situation, but someone trying tosell me something or hook me into something I don’t want to do.

Another point that the article raises is that it is not justthe meeting that eats into your schedule, but the time prior to the meetingwhen you don’t start anything important because you know you will have to leaveit unfinished. And then there’s the time afterwards when you have to changegears and switch back to the work on hand.

I remember years ago being on several committees with onewoman who started to evaluate the use of her time. We nicknamed her “The Terminator” as shewould ask questions at the meeting like – Why are we meeting? Do we still needthis committee?

And she was right. Often we get locked into meeting or serving on a committee, becausewe’ve always done it, not because there is a need. When the purpose of the meeting/committee hasbeen achieved, maybe it is time to say “Congratulations, we’ve achieved what weset out to do.” and end it there.

What’s the answer? The article suggests we take an audit of our time and how we use it. Byexamining it more closely, we likely will find areas that we can change andcurtail and more importantly, they say, reframe how we look at quality time andthe value of taking a break.

The Personal Touch

2011-09-08T07:30:00.000-04:00

It has been over a year since I started our LinkedIn group for Company of Women and we have over 1,000 members from around the world. That’s pretty neat when I consider that I really just started it on a whim, thinking it would be a way to get us involved in the social media arena.

Back then, women were quick to join and I must admit to a moment of panic as I fretted about what to do with the group. As I wrote in my book, I decided to ask the women involved what they wanted, and you know what that has worked. Often there are as many as 15-20 discussions going on at one time, and women are listening and giving each other good advice.

But I am still old-fashioned – I like meeting people face-to-face. It’s a bit like dating online, there comes a time when you need to meet in order to deepen the relationship.

Recently I have been running our Company of Women 101 sessions myself. In the past I had delegated them to staff, but you know what – I am excited to doing them again. It gives me an opportunity to meet new women business owners, to build relationships and to share my passion for Company of Women and what we have to offer.

So yes, get involved in social media, but don’t forget the personal touch, that’s the icing on the relationship-building cake.

Jack’s Legacy

2011-09-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

Like many Canadians I watched Jack Layton’s funeral. It was a moving tribute to a man who represented and crusaded for ordinary people from all walks of life. Like his inclusivity when he was alive, the people who spoke, sang and performed at the service were all speaking to his warmth, passion and interest in equality for all.

No matter what your political stripe, people admired and respected Jack. He represented a type of politician that we rarely, unfortunately, see – someone who was honest, treated everyone with respect and valued the opinions of others. He was authentic.

You just hope that his legacy will live on and that the politicians in the audience listened, reflected on his message and determined to change the way they do business. Like many, I am tired of the hostility, game-playing and manipulation that has become an integral part of politics today.

Too much time is spent trying to win a point, to score a slight against an opponent, instead of finding ways to work together, to improve Canada and to focus on what is important.

We need hope, optimism and love. We need Jack’s vision to live on. We need to be proud to be Canadians.

Getting Past Myself

2011-09-01T07:30:00.002-04:00

This week I met with book coach Sabaina Malik to talk about how to literally get the word out about my new book – Day by Day - Tales of Business, Life and Everything In Between.

As she talked about what I could do to create a buzz about the book, I realized that what was holding me back, was me. “You’re too modest, Anne.” she observed. Like many women, I am uncomfortable about selling myself and given that the book is about my life and the lessons I have learned – it really is all about me.

Why do we do that? I’ve had a very successful career, have accomplished a lot and I believe I have made a difference in the lives of others; so it’s not that I lack confidence in myself, yet I still hold back from tooting my own horn. Maybe it is my British background, because growing up in the UK, it would be deemed highly inappropriate to brag about yourself.

Maybe we need to follow the example of our southern sisters because they don’t seem to have the same difficulty in selling themselves. But there is a fine line between being confident and being in someone’s face.

Or maybe I just need to take my own advice because in the book I talk about slaying dragons and facing fears head-on. My fears there concerned driving into the unknown, especially on highways and public speaking – and I am getting better on both fronts.

But I sometimes wonder if my fear in this instance is the fear of failing, that people won’t like my book, and because of its content, by extension won’t like me. There I said it. As Jane Fonda said the other night, the disease of pleasing. I know better and I need to get over myself.

“But the other challenge,” Sabaina remarked, “is that people see you as the founder of Company of Women, not as an author.” So she recommended that I first start to identify myself as a writer because if I don’t believe it myself, how can I expect other people to.

My homework is to write my bio as an author, which given this is my third book, shouldn’t be a stretch, I just have to remember I can write.

So let me start by introducing you to Anne Day, author – OK Sabaina - accomplished author.

Memory Lane

2011-08-25T07:45:00.000-04:00

At the risk of aging myself, do you remember that song How Much is that Doggie in the Window? It was one that my father would sing to me when I was a child.

So you can imagine my delight when we spotted this little dog in a shop window. It wasn’t a pet store, just a general shop that sold assorted items. The dog clearly belonged to the owner and did not seem too happy to be there.

When I used to teach the course Your Child’s Self Esteem I would often ask the parents to reflect back on their own childhood and identify a time when they were happiest. The most frequent answer – special time spent with a parent.

Seeing that dog brought back similar memories for me. My father would have chuckled at the photo we took and worse, would likely have burst into song. Not a good thing.

Summers Past

2011-08-18T07:45:00.000-04:00

On a recent radio show with Jann Arden, she was asking the audience to phone in and talk about their worst summer job. It was fascinating to hear what people had to say and that day I asked several people the same question and got a similar reaction – in that people said they took what they could get to earn some money. Is that what happens today? I wonder.

It is good to reflect back on where we have been. I had numerous jobs over the summer months, but one of the most boring, and therefore in my estimations the worst was packaging letters of the alphabet in a company that produced letters to go on briefcases and the like. It was tedious and did not require much thought, other than knowing the alphabet.

Another time I worked as a chambermaid in a hotel and discovered what slobs people could be and how well or not, they treated people in service. Then there was the time I worked in the kitchen of a hospital, delivering meals to patients.

It seems to be me that I have come a long way from those early more menial jobs, but it is good to remember where you started. What about you? What did you do?

To me those summer jobs built character and an appreciation of what you didn’t want to do when you grew up.

Are you a giver or a taker?

2011-08-11T07:30:00.000-04:00

Recently over lunch a friend and I shared different stories of how someone had taken advantage of us. As we chatted we came to the conclusion that in life there are givers and there are takers.

When you are giver, it is second nature to want to help someone. I remember years ago meeting up with someone who was starting a group similar to Company of Women. I shared information freely, wanting to help her be successful and avoid some of the mistakes I’d made.

Imagine my surprise when I went to her launch to see not only how she’d benefited from my advice, she’d copied everything we did. I mean everything. Even the website looked like a replica. Now I have to take some ownership for the outcome because I never spelled out that she couldn’t copy our material but that was because it never crossed my mind that she would. I guess I was naive.

I am not sure if it is this tight economy, but more and more I am bumping up against the takers, who put making money (for themselves) above all else. And I never learn. I guess I see everyone through my own rose-tinted glasses, and believe that they will work with the same integrity I bring to my business.

But sadly no. As both my friend and I have found. It is discouraging, and it makes us givers, less willing to give and more cynical about these “win-win” alliances.

I guess at the end of the day, all you can do is take responsibility for your own actions. Act with integrity, and know that at least you can sleep at night, having been true to your values.

It’s a Small World After All

2011-08-04T07:30:00.002-04:00

I know, I was supposed to be on vacation, but I couldn’t resist buying a British business magazine when I was in the UK.

The UK, as an aside, is a country that has a magazine for every topic and hobby, and yet few small business magazines, so I was interested to read Start Your Own Business.

You can therefore imagine my surprise and pleasure to find our very own Sarah Prevette of Sprouter, highlighted as one the top twenty young entrepreneurs. Her photo was the first one I saw as I turned the pages. Way to go Sarah.

But it made me realize that we really are doing business on a global scale. No longer are we limited to our local communities, and with the Internet, the whole world is open to us.

Makes me think of a song from my parents’ era – In his hands he’s got the whole world. Well you know what, so do we. It may be fair to say that the only limitations are those we place on ourselves. So think big, think global.

All in a Day’s Work

2011-07-28T07:30:00.001-04:00

Well it’s official. I am a farmer’s wife. I just gained my badge.

Let me explain. This year we have taken on six cows, and like their predecessors, they have tended to keep a low profile, and we only eyeball them when they come up to the trough for water, which given this heat, has been more often than usual.

So as I was driving down our driveway, heading for the office, out of the corner of my eye I spotted one of our cows – in an open field, far from where she should have been. She was guzzling with glee at the new fodder in this field, unperturbed that she now had an audience – a rather well-dressed one at that!

We have a farmer who helps with the cattle, so I went over to give him a shout. Fortunately he was up (it was early) and over we went to round up our delinquent cow.

After quick debate, we decided the best way was for the two of us to get her to voluntarily take herself back to the field.

Hugh chased after her and as a result, she headed in my direction. Now I don’t know about you, but I am not well-versed in what to do when a cow is coming straight for you, or for that matter, on how best to get it to go anywhere.

So I stood firm, waved my arms and shouted Whoa. I know – it’s a cow, not a horse, but hey – it worked and after a couple of shouts of whoa – she jumped, yes jumped, over the fence to join her buddies.

Lesson learned – there may be some merit to the rumour about the cow jumping over the moon – because they can sure jump.

Thumbs Up

2011-07-21T07:30:00.000-04:00

I have a confession to make – I am container-challenged.

It’s a recent phenomenon, but I know it's not going to get better, only worse.

And it is not selective – cans, bottle tops, lids, jars of jelly – you name it, I have trouble opening it.

Why? One of the joys of aging, I guess, is that I now have arthritis in my thumbs. Let me tell you – you don’t realize what you use and need your thumbs for, until it becomes hard to use them – the button on the electric tooth brush, the can opener, even flushing the toilet.

So for Mother’s Day this year my kids bought me every gadget known to man to help me open those elusive jars and cans. The dog is sure happy – his meals are looking up again.

And now those screw top wine b bottles are opened with a quick twist.

So cheers! I am giving these gadgets the quick thumbs up.

Check Your Motives Before You Write

2011-07-18T10:15:00.000-04:00

In a recent blog, Seth Godin advocated keeping our writing simple. So often he points out, people take forever to get to the point, use long words and jargon and are frankly quite boring.

I’ve often found so much depends on the purpose of the writing. Is it to educate and inform the reader? Or is it more about you, and the opportunity to show off your knowledge?

Your reason for writing will impact the way you write. When you are genuinely trying to get a point across, or hopefully educate the reader, then there’s less jargon and the wording is simple. When it’s all about you, and this opportunity to showcase your “stuff,” people tend to trot out their most elaborate vocabularly, try to sound superior with their use of jargon and are often long-winded, reluctant to give up the “written” stage.

Years ago when I was working as a consultant I was asked to synthesize several lengthy research documents into ten pages that would convey the research findings in layman terms to a group of school trustees. I did it but not without some challenges from one person on the committee. She wanted some of her statistical data included but from my perspective it didn’t add to the knowledge of the readers, and in fact could have confused them as it introduced another tangent to an already complex topic.

Truth was she wanted it included because it highlighted her expertise, not because it would add to the learning. Our ego is a funny thing and it can sometimes get in the way of doing what’s right; of forgetting about the reader and putting ourselves first instead.

As an editor I often come up against the writer’s ego, and sometimes the writer can’t take the objective observations about their piece, forgetting that my goal is to make an article understood and valued by the reader.

Contrary to their belief, it is not all about them. It’s not personal. It’s about getting the point across succinctly and in an interesting way that will hold the readers’ attention.

So next time you have to write something, ask yourself why am I doing this? Your answer may shape what you produce and when it is more about the reader, and less about you, you’ll find the right words.

Stiffer Rules Around Spam

2011-07-14T10:14:00.000-04:00

Are you ready for the new Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) Bill C28 which will be enforced later this year? This law requires express consent for most commercial-related messages. It also requires that you inform consumers about how personal identifiable information such as an email address will be used.

And ignore the law at your peril, because the fines are steep, with a potential penalty of $1 million for individuals and $10 million per business per day. With C-28, the burden of proof is on the sender and marketers must clearly inform consumers about what exactly they are opting in to and you need to articulate your privacy policies.

Here are a few steps you can take now to get ready for when the law is enforced.

Outsource your direct e-mail marketing efforts to a reputable e-mail sending service like Constant Contact
Clean up your mailing lists.
Get consent from people now.
Avoid renting or buying lists.
Adopt e-mail best practices based on permission-based marketing.
Have an opt-out option on your e-mail marketing

A word of caution, picking up a business card from a display at an event, and then adding the person to your email list, does not constitute permission-based marketing. If the person handed you the card, maybe, but if they don’t remember you, never met you at the actual event, you run the risk of your email being considered spam and that could be a costly error on your part.

Fine Line - Lessons from News of the World

2011-07-14T07:38:00.000-04:00

We were in the UK when the demise of the News of the World newspaper occurred. We even purchased the last issue which highlighted the stories they'd run in their long history as a newspaper. You know, much as I disapprove strongly of the hacking and the strategies they used to get a lead on a news breaking story, they actually had been responsible for exposing a fair number of crimes and scams over the years. It is too bad they crossed the line.

Because, it is a fine line between investigative journalism and intruding in people’s privacy, particularly at a low point in their lives when they’d tragically just lost someone dear to them. Now that is both criminal and inhumane.

It speaks to the overpowering ambition of some people/organizations where getting the story and the “supposed” kudos for being the first to reveal all, takes over from decent, human behaviour. I wonder if the journalists involved ever questioned themselves, or chose to ignore their gut feeling that what they were doing was wrong. To them, the means justified the end result.

In business we also face decisions about which path to take to realize our goals. My advice, listen to your gut. Don’t do something where someone will get hurt, because at the end of the day, the person most damaged will be yourself and your reputation, and that can be hard to repair.

Writing My Way To Success

2011-07-07T09:14:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday as editor of the Puslinch Pioneer, I had the pleasure of presenting the Pioneer’s award to a young girl at the local school.

It took me back to when I was in high school and was editor of the school newsletter. Little did I know back then that I would end up with several careers where strong writing skills were a requirement.

First it was funding proposals to get funding for the charities that I worked for; and then it was writing a parenting column for the local newspaper. Later I became editor of a national parenting magazine.

During my stint at government, I wrote briefing notes for politicians and a successful $13 million cabinet submission to fund women’s programs. While in my consulting practice, I often wrote lengthy reports with recommendations on service delivery or I would be hired to take a long document and synthesize the main concepts and translate it into terms that the layperson would understand.

I list all this because it just shows that our skills are transferable and my writing skills took me from being a fundraiser to a funder; from being a columnist to being an editor and from being a consultant to being a marketer; and from being a publisher to writing a book. The bottom line is that my writing skills were my entry into a diverse world where those skills were not just required, but valued.

So often I look at young people and they seem paralyzed by fear about making the wrong career decision, when in reality, if they have an employable skill set, they can find work in many industries. It is honing those skills that will bring them a career that is interesting and worthwhile.

As parents we need to help our children discover their talents, because, while it may not always be that obvious, all of us come to this world with our own unique set of skills, attitudes and talents. It is uncovering their passions that will help them to find their way.

The Battle of the Bulging Inbox

2011-06-29T06:26:00.000-04:00

It has been a month now since I cleaned up my act – email wise – and I am proud to say that I am still managing the flow of emails. In fact I have become quite competitive about it – with myself and others in the office, and have taken to bragging about how few emails remain in my inbox.

Guess I’ve become a bit like the former smoker – nothing worse – with little tolerance for others who have not seen the light and changed their ways. But you have to reach rock bottom (6,500 emails did it for me) to recognize that something has to change.

However, the real test will be when I get back from vacation. Two weeks away and I will have to navigate my way through hundreds of emails. Having shed the weight of all these emails, I am determined, like the weight-watcher, to stick with it, because it is freeing and I feel tons lighter with all those emails gone. Forever.

It's a numbers game

2011-06-25T08:47:00.000-04:00

Last week’s Fifth Annual Journey 2 Success Conference seemed to be all about numbers in a way. First it was a sold-out event, with over 208 women participating which thrilled us, as the conference is expensive to put on and so every year we take the risk and just pray we will get the numbers.

Our first speaker, Dr. Elaine Dembe, spoke about the ten characteristics of resilient people, while Dianne Buckner, host of Dragons’ Den, shared her observations on the top ten traits of successful entrepreneurs and we ended the day discussing the eight tenets of leaders.

Sandwiched in between, we heard from a panel with Julia Hanna, a businesswoman who has owned four successful restaurants, all of which are still running in an industry where 90 percent close in the first year.

Nadja Piatka, on the other hand, built her food manufacturing business, as she says herself on adversity, with only $500; baking muffins in her kitchen. Today she has a multi-million business selling her products to McDonald's and Subway.

Our third panelist, Lesley Andrew had also beat the odds, turning her learning challenges into a successful creative career, and when she sang It’s a Wonderful World in her beautiful soprano voice, there was hardly a dry eye in the room.

Back in school many of us may have struggled with math. Today likely many people have the same quandary with social media. What’s Twitter? How do I link-in? Isn’t Facebook just for young people? With only thirty minutes, Lisa Kember was able to give us a quick overview with some great tips, but it still raised more questions than answers for newbies in the crowd.

So when I announced that we were launching Techie Tuesdays in the fall, when the women can learn hands-on, there was a lot of interest in the crowd. Just like math, it’s important we grasp social media because it is the way of the future. And talking of numbers, the good news is that the price is right – most of it is free.

No matter what your business is – it truly is a numbers game. Number of customers, how much money you have invested in your business, your cash flow, and in our case, numbers of bums in seats. It is all a risk, but when you know your numbers, when you pay attention to them, you stand a better chance of succeeding.

The date for our next conference has some interesting numbers too – June 12, 2012 - a date to remember. Hope you will join us.

Please Be Seated

2011-06-18T16:34:00.000-04:00

There’s been a real buzz this week about our conference and with the flurry of last minute registrations, it’s clear that women really want to be there. And they are coming from all over the province from Sault Ste Marie, Haliburton, Peterborough to Ottawa.

This is our fifth conference and I have to say everything has just fallen into place. We know what we are doing, have a system in place and it has, touch wood, gone like clockwork. Of course, you can never tell what can happen the day of the event but by that stage it is more a case of going with the flow and making it work.

As I sat with the seating plan, trying to make sure that with each change in seating (there are three), no one was sitting with someone they had already met, I felt like the wedding planner. I am not sure people realize how much planning and consideration goes into making events like weddings and conferences work so everyone gets the most out of the experience.

I used to do the seating plan for the annual ATHENA Gala, and would spend hours trying to make sure I’d grouped people appropriately. Now that was often for 400 people and I have to confess towards the end, I would start to question why I was making such an effort. Then I would hear back from people that their table was special, and it seemed all worthwhile.

Same with the conference. I started off trying to assign people to groups where I thought there might be some synergy, but the closer we got to midnight, the more I began to rationalize to myself that someone was in that group because they were meant to be, nothing to do with my engineering the connections. After all, it’s up to every participant to make the most of the experience.

So three more sleeps and it will be all over for another year. I always find myself on a downer the day afterwards. It is such an anticlimax – months of work and preparation and it is over in a flash. But hopefully the knowledge, learning and connections the women gain through the conference will carry on for months to come.

Stretching the Truth

2011-06-11T11:14:00.001-04:00

There are some business lessons to be learned from the two recent cases of people who stretched the truth on their use of the HOV lane.

First there was the pregnant woman who claimed that there were two passengers – herself and her baby. She was certainly sort of telling the truth, but it was a very generous interpretation of the rule. The second case was much more devious and the man was charged. What did he do? He had a blown-up, dressed doll in the car. To me this was a blatant attempt to beat the system. He just wanted to reach his destination faster.

But it didn’t really pan out the way he expected I am sure. When we try to take short cuts, stretch the truth or exaggerate about what we have achieved or can do, we run the risk of getting caught out and bringing discredit to our reputation. Honesty is the best policy.

In business, I’ve met people who oversell what their product can do, or what benefit they can bring to an organization. Plus you never know who knows who. I never forget reading a resume in which the person claimed to be the lead in a certain project. She wasn’t to know that I would be reading her resume but as the person who HAD been in charge of the project, I could quickly attest that this wasn’t true, which caused us all to question what else was false or a stretch of the truth.

The English language is a persuasive tool that can be used to mislead others. We hear what we want to hear, rather than the actual truth. Over the years I have been nominated numerous times for the Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award. When you say it quickly, it might sound as if I actually won it, but I never have. It is those sorts of interpretations which yes, can work in your favour but you have to be careful.

When you exaggerate about what you do, or give off a false air of self-confidence, it can come back to bite you. I’ve noticed that I will chatter on about my accomplishments when I am feeling insecure or feel the need to prove myself, but afterwards I regret it. I now really try to catch myself before I get caught up in that cycle of insecurity.

Having said that I am a big component of faking it until you make it – but it has to be done with honesty, not by totally misleading the other person.

Yup, honesty is the best policy. Be who you are, warts and all. People will respect you for your authenticity. Taking short cuts doesn’t always mean that you reach your destination faster. Sometimes it can derail your plans.

BLITZING MY INBOX

2011-06-02T15:01:00.000-04:00

How many email are lingering in your inbox? That many? If I had to answer that question at the beginning of the week, my answer would have been 6,500. Yes – six-thousand-five-hundred. Now ask how many I have? Ten – one-zero.

It took me all day. I closed my office door and hunkered down to sort through them all. Many were deleted, others transferred to the appropriate folder and some were replied to, with great apologies for the delay.

Every year around this time, I declare war on my inbox, but I can honestly say this is the first time I have systematically worked my way through them all. One year I started off, grew impatient and just deleted them all. Error. A step I later regretted when I was looking for a crucial email.

So this time I am literally starting with a clean slate. How long do you give me to keep this up? My challenge is I get hundreds of emails a day, so it is hard to keep on top of it all. But I am competitive with myself so maybe this time it will work.

And if you haven’t heard back from me – don’t worry – you are on the list!

WE CAN DO IT - WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS

2011-05-29T18:03:00.000-04:00

Bringing a group of powerful, strong women together is always exciting. The fact that they all owned their business, were successful and leaders in their own right, made the meeting even more dynamic and you could feel the energy in the room.

On Thursday, the National Task Force on Women’s Business Growth held its fourth roundtable – this time in Toronto. Three roundtables had already taken place across Canada, and I suspect the conversations were similar.

While more and more women are starting their businesses, the growth of their ventures is slower to their male counterparts. Why is that? And more to the point, what can we do to change this situation? These were the topics under discussion at the roundtable.

We had sixty-four women in attendance, representing all types of businesses. Following a report on the latest research, a panel presentation from three successful entrepreneurs, the women were divided into groups to look at supplier diversity and procurement; access to capital; adoption of technology and training needs.

As the facilitators from each group reported back, you could see some common threads. First women needed to be more confident in their abilities to succeed and to actively seek out opportunities to grow their businesses, and it was identified that role models and mentors were needed who could show the way.

Another frequent observation was a lack of financial literacy which hindered growth. As a result, accessing capital became a scary prospect and one that women often chose not to pursue.

We actually had three groups of women from the IT sector which was gratifying to see as so often they are striving to get ahead in a male-dominated industry and they came up with all sorts of innovative strategies to keep us connected and supporting one another.

Different mechanisms and delivery options were considered in terms of training so as to fit into the busy schedule of women business owners and it was recognized that women business owners often seemed reluctant to invest in themselves.

And talking of time, we ran out of it. We’d been together for four hours and the meeting ended on the cusp of exploring solutions that could help and support women business owners. But this was just the beginning, and having the women all in one room to start the dialogue gave credibility to the need for change and the desire for it to happen.

Stay tuned.

STAY STATIC AT YOUR PERIL

2011-05-22T14:03:00.000-04:00

I’ve just been watching a show about a bakery that needs to change - its products to meet the needs of their clients and the layout of the store so it becomes contemporary and attracts younger shoppers.

The owner is really set in her ways and despite the expert’s advice and a tour of successful bakery, is digging her heels in because she doesn’t want to change what she is doing. Actually she is not listening – to her customers or to the expert they’ve called in to save her bakery.

No one says change is easy but if we stay complacent or set in our ways, then the outcome is not likely to be positive. As Einstein says “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

After doing a trial run with different breads, the owner has to acknowledge that there was lots of interest in the new, healthier types of bread. However, while she has agreed that the speciality breads might work, she is taking short cuts and using bread mixes instead of making the breads from scratch. From the expert’s point of view, she’s totally missed the point and her controlling, passive aggressive behaviour is dooming the move forward.

Her rationale for her resistance is that she has been running her business for over 36 years and done well, thank you very much. I was in awe at the expert’s tenacity in trying to get her to change her mind but in the end, the business owner turned down all the ideas and suggestions.

So how set in your ways are you? Are you open to change? What does it take to get you to change direction? A decline in revenue or customers; constant feedback emphasizing something you don’t want to hear? Well, ignore at your peril. Even the most successful business cannot rest on its laurels, part of staying successful is staying current and innovative.

Plus, don’t you get bored with the same old, same old? I do.

MORE PRODUCTIVE EMAILS

2011-05-14T20:25:00.000-04:00

How many emails do you get a week? I don’t know about you, but if I am out of the office for just a day, I am faced with hundreds of emails from people, all expecting an instant reply from me.

At a recent conference, I had the opportunity to hear Elaine Stirling, author of The Corporate Storyteller: A writing manual and style guide for the brave new business leader who shared tips on more efficient use of emails. Too often she says, we waste people’s time by not being specific about what we want and by when, which results in several emails going to and fro until this information is nailed down. How true.

She also encourages people to set the stage for their email message, with a quick courteous sentence that allows you to check in with the person or helps them clarify who you are and where you met.

Being visual, I truly got her statement about white space and how a long, dense email is intimidating before you even read it and in fact may result on you not responding straight away. Introducing paragraphs or better still headings, makes it much easier for the reader to grasp what you want.

She suggests that the closing sentence should revert back to the personal and be friendly, helping to build the relationship between yourself and the recipient.

So often I write what I want and then it seems too stark and to-the-point, and so I go back and inject the email with more of a personal tone at the beginning and at the end. And it would seem I am on the right track.

Elaine recommends that when we send an email we take three steps :

1. Why I am writing this
2. What you need to know to take action or make a decision
3. What I need from you and when.

When we outline what we need, why we need it and by what time, there is no confusion and best of all, we save time – for everyone.

ENTERING THE DEN

2011-05-08T13:32:00.000-04:00

Some call him a Shark, others a Dragon. But meeting Robert Herjavec of Dragons’ Den fame was less scary than you would think. He’s actually a likeable, down-to-earth, shrewd businessman who has worked hard to achieve his success.

Along with several other “media,” I had the opportunity to sit in on a media conference before he spoke at the Toronto Entrepreneur launch this weekend. What first struck me however was the length of his hair - it was longer than I thought. Overlapping on his collar, it gave him a younger look and he is a lot slimmer than he appears on television, but they say that the TV adds ten pounds.

He talked about the role Dragons Den has played in making entrepreneurship sexy. It is now considered cool to own your own business and at a recent talk at Wilfrid Laurier, he was encouraging the students to “become great at something you do and the money will follow.”

Being on the show he has seen many budding entrepreneurs and he encourages anyone thinking of pitching to the Dragons to do their homework, do the math. “When we ask you what you want the money for – don’t say marketing, “ he advises. “You are wanting us to invest in your business, be prepared for real world questions because if you can’t answer them, then you are in trouble.” he adds.

His parents who came to Canada with nothing and who could not speak English, are his inspiration. Because of the sacrifices they made for him, he was determined to be successful. In the early nineties, he was waiting on tables at a local restaurant and launching BRAK systems in his basement in between shifts.

Ironically, while the Dragons often seek a share of the business in return for their investment, Herjavec himself prefers to keep all the equity to himself. He wants to own his businesses 100 percent.

Herjavec sold his first business to AT & T for $100 million. At the time he was offered stock or cash. Unsure which way to go, he asked his accountant and other advisors, who recommended he take the stock. But that wasn’t sitting right with him, so he asked the one person he knew who would give him an honest answer – his father – who said take the cash. He took the cash but a few months later the stock value was on the rise and he started to question his decision, however not much later, the company folded. Had he taken the stock, he would have been left with nothing.

After a three-year hiatus, he started up the The Herjavec Group and he admitted that it hasn’t grown as quickly as he thought. “In some ways when you don’t have much money to invest, you stay laser-focused and less willing to take risks. Whereas this time I’ve thrown money at different things, and they haven’t all worked out. “

It was interesting to learn that no one within the company has a title on their business cards. From Herjavec’s perspective, all his staff have the same job – to keep the customer happy.

When asked about giving back, Herjavec started by explaining that culturally in Eastern Europe, you don’t give back. Having said that, he went onto say while he can’t help everyone, he’s chosen causes that have personal meaning to him. And family always comes first.

As Herjavec points out, we all have the same 24 hours in a day, it’s what we do with that time that counts. We have no one to blame but ourselves if we don’t use our time wisely.

Clearly Herjavec has made every second count.

Realistic Expectations

2011-04-28T10:19:00.000-04:00

I am always advocating that we need to touch base with our customers, to find out what is happening with them and what we can do to improve our services.

And I do walk the talk. This week we sent out our annual survey to women who are part of the Company of Women community and slowly they are trickling back.

As I read through the feedback, it’s gratifying to learn that we are doing OK, but I find myself gravitating to the few negative ones. Why do we do that? The majority are super- positive, and people have some great ideas and suggestions that we will consider implementing, yet I still get drawn into the negativity of some people.

I find myself getting defensive – wanting to reply and explain how much different aspects of our programs cost and that we’re a small team. Or counter with my feedback on what we have done in the past.

It boils down to expectations. While we are there to support and connect you as much as we can, we can’t make your business a success, only you can do that.

I guess my lesson from all this is that when we ask for people’s opinions, that’s what we get and you have to be prepared to take the good, with the bad, and at least this time there was no ugly.

bizwomen: Day by Day

2011-04-22T10:20:00.000-04:00

bizwomen: Day by Day: "Well it is official. I have a book. I picked up copies from the publishers last week and already this week we’ve sold quite a few copies. ..."

Day by Day

2011-04-22T10:10:00.000-04:00

Well it is official. I have a book. I picked up copies from the publishers last week and already this week we’ve sold quite a few copies. It does feel strange to think that likely over the long weekend people will be reading about the ins and outs of my life.

I guess I knew that when I wrote it – but it is different now that moment is here. Will I hear back from them? Will they look me straight in the eye again or avoid me? Oh the pangs of self-doubt start to roll in. Why do we do that to ourselves? It also makes me feel vulnerable – not a role I like to play.

The funny thing is that no sooner had the book arrived than other writers approached me about the whole publishing process. Like I am the expert. I mean I am just a few weeks ahead of them, that’s all. But I did meet with some women this week and it strikes me that there is merit in us all getting together to share ideas, resources and support.

Writing a book and getting it published is just the first step. If you don’t do any marketing, it will just gather dust on your bookshelf or sit in your garage waiting for a good home.

Like any product you have to sell, you have to consider who is your target market and focus your energies on reaching them. That’s where I am lucky in a way. My book is aimed at women and is about running a small business while trying to have a life, which means that it will appeal, hopefully, to women in Company of Women and other small business owners.

A fellow author – oh that sounds so sweet – suggested that I post an entry on www.page99test.com How this works is you type in page 99 of your book, and people give you feedback on whether they would buy it or not. Now she did warn me that it could be brutal and you certainly have to leave your ego at the door and don a suit of armour.

Only three people have reviewed the page, and so far one might buy it. One reviewer was a guy, so he just didn’t get it and with the other negative comment, I wanted to email her back to explain. I guess it makes you a bit defensive. But again, it does emphasize the need to be targeted in who want to reach.

So often when you write a book, you put so much of yourself into it, and when the book is actually your story – then even more so. For those of you reading Day by Day. Tales of business, life and everything in between I hope you get something out of the book. Even my kids learned something new about their mother ☺

BEING MUGGED EMOTIONALLY

2011-04-18T12:26:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago one of our team was publicly put down in front of a whole group of people by someone participating in a program. She came back to the office shaking and near tears. When said individual then followed up with an equally attacking email, it was hard to not just retaliate and bring ourselves down to her level. However, we took the high road, even though we were gritting our teeth.

So I read with great interest a recent article by Martha Beck in which she talks about people trying to rob us of our good mood. She called it emotional mugging and explained that there are six types of muggers – from the puppy kickers who take out their frustrations on someone else or the exploding doormats who will take so much, and then explode at the slightest provocation, and who harbour festering hostility towards their targets, to other more serious offenders who long term can damage your core belief in yourself.

The deflaters, and you may even have these in your family, are the ones who burst your bubble and sees virtue in pessimism. They can “take the air out of any good time and make a bad time feel even worse.” shares Beck.

The most insidious is the secret keepers, because you can start to question your own sanity. You know something’s not right but when you talk about it, the secret keeper pounces back, anxious to stop you from learning the truth. The cannibals are the ones who can bring you down in a split second with their tales of doom and gloom. Beck recommends not feeding into this person’s misery but instead reinforce with them that they have the resources to resolve their issues.

The last are the dementors, who take pleasure in publicly humiliating another person. They, Beck points out, are “endlessly unhappy, addicted to the sense of control they get from violating others.” The dementors are the most vicious of the muggers and her best advice was to avoid them completely or if that is not an option, to keep your emotional distance.

To protect yourself from emotional mugging, Beck compares her advice to learning self-defense, except instead of learning karate-do to protect yourself physically, she advocates practicing emo-do – the way of the emotional master.

As for our troubled lady, she most definitely fit into the dementors category and we intend to follow Beck’s advice and keep our distance.

LAST SEEN HEADING FOR…

2011-04-16T17:23:00.000-04:00

I have a thing about being on time. Punctuality is important to me and as many of my members will attest, I work hard to finish my events on time. I feel it is a sign of respect to do so.

That being said, twice this week I have been late – for an event and a meeting. Why? Because I got lost. Not only lost, but my GPS had me going around in circles.

By the time I was forty minutes late picking up my volunteer Melanie, I was almost beside myself. I knew I was going to be late for our event and I had the name tags, registration material etc… And sure enough, when we arrived people were waiting for us, several concerned because I am never late. Well after this week, nearly never.

A few days later, I decided to try a different route home from Kitchener. Big mistake. Again following my trusty (or not so trusty) GPS, I started to notice familiar sites – I literally was back where I started from, and suddenly where I thought I had plenty of time to get to my meeting, I was behind and stuck in traffic. Fortunately the people I was meeting with were flexible and we were able to get together, albeit half an hour later.

No one likes to get lost. It makes you feel vulnerable. With places to go and people to see, my frustration level was at an all time high. But it made me realize how it must feel when you are lost in life, when you don’t know what to do next, and are drifting with no sense of direction or inner voice telling you what to do. It’s not a comfortable place to be, and yet all of us have been there at some time in our lives.

As business owners, it can often be when we have some tough decisions to make and we aren’t sure how or whether to make them – whether it be to take that big step and hire staff or undertake a major expense or at the other end of the spectrum, to face the unwelcome reality that your business isn’t working or is not financially viable and it’s time to close the doors.

In his book The Dip, Seth Godin talks about how often we give up when success is just around the corner. Certainly I set myself a time limit and had determined that if I hadn’t found Melanie’s farmhouse by a certain time, I was going to have to give up and sure enough, seconds before that deadline, I found it.

With my second tardy experience, it bothered me more than the people I was visiting, so really I could have cut myself some slack. Maybe we expect too much of ourselves.

Whether you are lost physically or mentally, one thing I know for sure, asking for directions can help you recognize and reach your destination. Talking it out with a friend or family member can bring a different perspective, one that brings objectivity to your situation and help you see a clear path and sense of direction.

LESSONS ON LEADERSHIP AND BUSINESS

2011-04-10T11:22:00.000-04:00

Like many I have admired and been in awe of Mandela’s courage after spending 27 years in prison, and so I was interested to read the book Mandela’s Way Fifteen Lessons on Life, Love and Courage by Richard Stengel.

Mandela was 44 when he was first imprisoned and before that time, he would describe himself as an emotional, passionate and sensitive man but when he came out at age 71, he was described as balanced, measured and controlled. “I came out mature” he says.

In this book, the author describes Mandela’s lessons, which as business owners and leaders we can all learn from and grow – both professionally and personally.

1. Courage is not the absence of fear, it’s learning to overcome it.
He would pretend to be brave but inside wasn’t feeling that way, he was just putting on a front.

2. Be measured. Control is the measure of a leader. Calm is what people are looking for in tense situations. As a young man, he was a hot head, easily roused to anger but he emerged from prison as someone almost impossible to rile. He liked to make decisions after considering all the options – think, analyze and act.

3. Lead from the front. Leaders must not only lead, but must be seen to lead. This meant doing things not necessarily to attract attention, but to be doing the same as others, in his case, with the other prisoners. When you lead from the front, you can’t let your colleagues get too far behind.

4. Lead from the back. As much as Mandela liked the limelight, he knew he had to share it. The author compared it to herding cattle, you get behind them and prod with a stick. This style of leadership means listening and getting consensus. Mandela preferred to reach results in a harmonious way, believing that what’s good for you, is good for others.

5. Look the part. Appearances matter. If you want to play the part, you have to wear the right clothes. At any political or social event, Mandela was always the first to stand up and clap; he would greet people, not be greeted by them and was always the host, never the guest.

Mandela’s smile is unique. It spells confidence. When he was released the one message he wanted to convey was that he was a man without bitterness.

6. Have a core principle. Everything else is tactics. Mandela’s core principle is equal rights for all, everything else is a tactic. He is a pragmatist and sets about getting things done.

7. See the good in others. He believes in starting with the assumption that you are dealing with people in good faith. Mandela felt that seeing the good in others might actually make them better. His premise was that if you expect more of people, they often contributed more.

8. Know your enemy. In his youth, Mandela was an amateur boxer and his coach taught him to be nimble and strong, but that he also had to know his opponent. So he learnt Afrikaans as he thought if he could speak his opponents’ language, he could to straight to their hearts.

To him, it was the art of persuasion – you don’t address their brains, you address their hearts. So in business, if you want to make the sale, you address the heart. He would do his homework and prepare for meetings with opponents. And when he won, he never gloated. He wanted to let them save face because then you could turn your enemy into a friend.

9. Keep your rivals close. Mandela never stopped tracking his opponents. In fact he believed that you needed to keep close tabs on your friendly rivals. He wanted to be close enough to see trouble coming.

10. Know when to say no. Mandela was decisive in his decisions, not given to saying “maybe” when he knew it would be “no” in the long run. His advice was that if you are delaying a decision because you are avoiding saying “no” as it is unpleasant, you are better to do it right away, and avoid a heap of trouble down the road.

11. It’s a long game. After 27 years in prison, you learn how to play a long game. He learned how to postpone gratification, whereas our culture rewards speed and impatience is regarded as a virtue.

He advises not to let the illusion of urgency force you to make decisions before you are ready. He prefers to marinate ideas and keep the total picture in mind.

12. Love makes the difference. He always was a romantic, dreaming of love and family. It was a lonely life for him - as a prisoner and when he first came out of prison, as being a celebrity trapped him. Who could he trust? But he remarried at 80 and has found love in his life again.

13. Quitting is leadership too. His greatest act of leadership was renunciation of it. He felt his job was to set the course, not steer the ship and at 80 he retired. He knows that it doesn’t pay to fight over every issue, and sometimes it’s best to call it quits.

14. It’s always both. There are no simple answers to most difficult questions. All explanations may be true but every problem has many causes, not just one. Shades of grey, he observed, are not easy to articulate. Black and white is seductive because it is simple and absolute. We often gravitate to yes or no, when both may be closer to the truth. We need to put ourselves in the shoes of the person with whom we disagree.

15. Find your own garden. When he was in prison, Mandela got permission to grow a vegetable garden. It became is oasis and helped quieten his mind. He believes that each of us needs something from the world that gives us pleasure and satisfaction.

I thoroughly recommend this book. It is a quick and easy read, with lots of meat to it and ideas to ponder on.

An attitude of gratitude

2011-03-31T08:20:00.000-04:00

With having a social media intern, I have become much more aware of its impact and have been measuring just how well we are doing in this arena.

So I decided to check the stats on my blog. More people are reading it – thank you. There have been times when I’ve wondered if my blog through which I live out loud about what is happening in my life, is all in a cyber-space vacuum that no one sees.

But what I did find interesting was that my most popular blog was the one I wrote about having a bad day which could indicate several things.

1. People love it when someone else is having a bad time
2. It is much easier for us to focus on the negative rather than the positive
3. My readers could relate to what I was saying
4. All of the above

As someone who is the eternal optimist and one who prefers to focus on the positive, I’d like to think it was number 3. We all have bad days, bad weeks, bad years actually, and perhaps writing about it is cathartic. Having a good vent, helps alleviate some of the frustrations and tensions. And being authentic, it is good to show that all is not always well in the Day/Company of Women camp.

I had to re-read that particular blog to remind myself of why it was so bad. And you know what, in the scheme of things, particularly in light of what is happening in the world, having to cancel a meeting and struggling with computer issues is really not up there in the list of disasters.

All of which leads me to say, that we need to gain perspective, roll with the punches and not take ourselves so seriously.

Let’s face it, we all have bad days, but there is always tomorrow, which for thousands of people in Japan, is not the case. Let’s be grateful for what we have.

Getting over the imposter syndrome

2011-03-18T14:41:00.001-04:00

This week I did my interview on the Extraordinary Women TV Show with Shannon Skinner and I am sure you have all been waiting with bated breath to learn what I decided was my proudest moment in my career ☺

Actually it wasn’t easy but after exploring the options with Megan, she helped me clarify for myself what it was – winning the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. I selected this one because I never, ever expected to win, did not have an acceptance speech ready and I valued the recognition from people that I admire and respect. I felt validated.

Like many other women, there are times when I have felt an imposter; that people will catch me and my secret will be out – that I am not really the successful business woman I appear to be.

It is that self-doubt that can hold us back, especially if we become paralyzed in fear.
There is nothing wrong with “faking it until you make it.” And for many of us, that is exactly what we have to do, especially when we are working in a male-dominated arena.

I always remember fashion icon Linda Lundstrom sharing that when she got the call to advise her that she’d won the Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award, she thought they’d got the wrong number. A man, she observed, would more be asking why it took them so long to recognize his talents?

Getting back to the interview. It went well, I think. See what I mean. Certainly after a few minutes, I totally forgot about the cameras which may or may not be good thing – time will tell. I haven’t seen the show yet but we will put it up on the site once we do.

So did you come up with your proudest moment?

What are you proud of?

2011-03-14T07:21:00.000-04:00

That’s a question I have been asked for my interview on the Extraordinary Women online TV show which is being broadcast live on Tuesday.

Tough one isn’t it. Having been on this planet sixty years now, I’ve seen and done a lot.

I could talk about my family – my daughters and my husband of 38 years or my focus could be more on business. Over the years, I have been involved in starting several organizations for women and children. I am proud of the difference these programs and services continue to make in the lives of families.

Or should I go more personal and talk about my resiliency while coping with cancer and the night I decided to bare all and told the women at Company of Women what was happening with me?

And then there’s always my new book, Day by Day.

All of which goes to say, that I have lived a very full life and have few regrets. So stay tuned – it’s www.extraordinarywomentv.com

And think about it – what would your answer be? Some days, to be honest, it is just about getting up and getting on with life.

SIXTY GOING ON FORTY

2011-03-04T08:21:00.000-05:00

I have had a wonderful week celebrating my birthday. I think as we get older we should recognize these milestones.

It started on Tuesday with my “I’m not sixty” birthday party when 20 girlfriends joined us for a girl-fest which was fun. Instead of gifts, I’d asked my friends to donate money towards a grants program I plan to start at Company of Women. Thanks to their generosity we raised $500.

Then Wednesday, THE actual day, I treated myself to some pampering at the spa, followed by lunch with a girlfriend and later dinner with my husband. Then Thursday saw my daughter’s birthday and yet another round of celebrations.

I think I am more troubled by her turning 32 than becoming sixty myself. It seems just yesterday that I was waddling, two weeks overdue, into the restaurant to celebrate my birthday. Boy did we get good service that night – they couldn’t wait to get us out of there for fear I would give birth right on the spot!

Where does the time go? We’ve had fun this week reflecting back on memories of the past. I have known some of my friends for over 30 years and we’ve been through a lot together – good and bad times – but I feel fortunate to have such long-standing friendships.

I even got a card from an old school friend in Scotland – now I’ve known her for 55 years - and I was touched she’d remembered my birthday after all these years. With the recent death of my dear friend Dianne I am reminded of how important our friendships are. They are our touchstones – with each other and ourselves.

Don’t let your business swallow up all your time and energy, because in the end it is our relationships that matter.

TEN TIPS ON MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS

2011-02-28T08:31:00.000-05:00

Last week I was invited to serve on a panel to discuss marketing. At first I thought… what do I know on this topic? But as I started to reflect on the growth of Company of Women over the past eight years, I thought maybe I do know a thing or two. Here’s a summary of the information I shared.

1. Know and understand your target audience
A common mistake I find with those in start-up mode is that they don’t drill down enough to determine who is their target audience and as a result, they miss the sale. So often there is an attitude of “if I build it, they will come” well not necessarily.

Even when you have mastered who your ideal client is and how to reach them, it is not a time to get complacent. Marketing is ongoing and you have to be constantly checking in, changing things up to make sure you stay current.

2. Create a buzz.
Every time we start in a new community, we work hard to create a buzz and rely heavily on word of mouth referrals which is still the way we attract new women to the group. Like attracts like and women are especially good at spreading the word on a service or program they’ve found and like. Plus the price is right.

3. Have a website and keep it current. It has to be easy to navigate and written in simple language.

4. Use social media
Get involved with social media – it doesn’t take as much time as you think. If you are reading this, you will know that I have a blog. Company of Women is also on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. If you want to reach younger people – this is the way to go.

5. Provide useful information – it’s not all about you
On our website we have over 300 articles on business and our magazine is a strong marketing tool. It gives credibility to our group and reflects the professional approach we take to working with women.

6. Stay in touch
Keep yourself front and centre with your customers. We send out a monthly e-zine which has useful information as well as a list of our events. Flyers are also sent out on a regular basis, but it is a fine line and bombarding people is one way to lose them fast. Using a program like Constant Contact helps.

7. Give back/volunteer
As the leader of your own company, you have an opportunity to lead by example. When you give back or volunteer in the community, you just never know what the ripple effect will be. For example, through one volunteer activity for example, I ended up receiving an award, which in turn led to paid speaking engagement in Turkey. It was not why I volunteered, but sure was a nice payback.

8. Be good at what you do – go the extra mile
When you act professionally, share your expertise and help someone else, again it can be paid forward. When one of our members was asked by a reporter who had helped her the most, she said Company of Women which led to a full-page coverage in the Toronto Star, coverage that we could never have afforded.

9. Build relationships
Keep in touch with key clients or influencers, not just to discuss business but to offer congratulations for example on a special award or the birth of a grandchild. Those personal touches keep you front and centre in their mind.

10. Ask for referrals
This may seem obvious, but our existing clients are our best sales force. Ask them to write a testimonial or referral you to a friend or colleague.

It is not recommended that you use one approach to market your business, your strategy has to be multi-faceted. Review and track the results so you can measure what is working best for you. Ask people how they found out about you, you might be surprised, and remember to thank the person who has referred you.

ARE WE AHEAD OF THE TIMES?

2011-02-19T16:53:00.001-05:00

What motivates you to succeed? What about your staff? And perhaps more important, what's your definition of success?

It has long been viewed by the corporate world that it is money that drives us to get ahead; that external rewards will propel us to do better and work harder for our employers.

In his new book, Drive, author Daniel Pink reveals that this premise is wrong and “four decades of scientific research on human motivation has revealed a mismatch between what science knows and what business does.”

So what does motivate us? “The secret to high performance and satisfaction at work, at school and at home – is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things and to do better by ourselves and our world.” says Pink.

Now this “discovery” comes as no surprise to me. I’ve known this for years and it’s not that I am a particularly forward-thinking individual. I am confident if you asked other entrepreneurs, especially women entrepreneurs, the reaction would be the same.

My “drive” if you will, has always been to make a difference and one of the reasons many women start a business is to gain control and direct their own lives. And as for the creating new things – again as entrepreneurs we fit the bill.

Having said that, my hope is that our corporate leaders will read this book and implement the strategies suggested, because maybe then they will catch up with us, and as a human race we can all work together towards common goals.

Farmer or Hunter?

2011-02-10T21:54:00.000-05:00

Which are you? That was part of our discussion at the recent Company of Women meeting in Cambridge. Speaker, Carole Cameron, author of Splash, An Introvert’s guide to Being Seen, Heard and Remembered, was talking about the way introverts vs. extraverts network.

I was struck by the farmer vs. hunter analogy because in some ways it speaks to the way some of us network. For me a farmer is someone who sows the seeds, follows up and nurtures the relationship to bring it to fruition, while a hunter is someone in for the kill, who will “stalk” the prospective client after meeting them, to the point where there is only one winner, instead of a win-win situation.

It was an interesting discussion. As one member pointed out, the difference between introvert and extravert is that the latter will enter the room and say “here I am” while the introvert is very much “here you are.”

Carole pointed out that while extraverts are quite comfortable initiating, introverts prefer to respond. Social media has become a medium behind which the introvert can blossom but also hide. It is much easier to respond in this way compared to face-to-face. Extraverts on the one hand, prefer to communicate verbally, while introverts like to communicate in writing through articles, books and other publications.

I consider myself to be a “shy extravert” so I found it interesting that my networking preference was very much to “farm” and to build relationships one-by- one. All of which causes me to question whether I am really a closet introvert, or do we change as we get older?

What do you think?

A SALUTE TO SOPHIE

2011-02-04T15:53:00.000-05:00

It’s been a sad week here for us at the office where my dogs are part of the fixtures and fittings. We had to say goodbye to our friend Sophie, a ten-year-old English Setter.

Sophie was always the first to greet visitors when they arrived. She would smile – really – dance enthusiastically and bark her welcome. We didn’t need a doorbell with her around.

Making these life and death decisions is hard, and this was sudden. One day she was fine and the next she was showing signs that she was sick, very sick. As we waited for the results, the debate began on what to do if the news was bad. And it was.

We were actually her third owners so she had only been with us for five years, but we loved her from day one. We already had an English Setter, Henry, when we “adopted” her and they looked so alike people were sure they were brother and sister.

And even though she was younger, smaller and a girl, she was the boss. Henry very quickly learned to do as he was told. Yes, likely we could have all taken some lessons from Sophie on how to handle the male species. She wasn’t afraid to stake her claim or get what she wanted but she was a very loving dog who just loved to sit with her head on your lap, looking up at you with her doleful eyes.

We will miss her.

bizwomen: HONEY - I'M HOME

2011-01-27T17:26:00.000-05:00

bizwomen: HONEY - I'M HOME: "February is all about relationships - between Valentine's Day and Family Day, we clearly are supposed to focus on our loved ones. Probab..."

HONEY - I'M HOME

2011-01-27T17:22:00.000-05:00

February is all about relationships - between Valentine's Day and Family Day, we clearly are supposed to focus on our loved ones.

Probably not a bad idea, as I know January was pretty hectic for us and in the rush to get everything done, it's probably our personal relationships that end up going on the back burner.

I think I need to start the month, saying "honey, I am home!" I always resolve, especially at the beginning of a new year, that I am going to balance my life more and start to say no.

Last November I started taking Fridays off - something I highly recommend if you can swing it. But of course, not used to downtime, I volunteered to be the editor of the monthly community newspaper.

Between editing the Pioneer, getting our March issue of Company ready and finalizing my book, I have been embroiled in commas and the like all month. All of which I normally would enjoy, but not all at once.

Frankly, it has been a lot, particularly when the timelines were almost the same for each publication and I have ended up working every weekend. Not something I would recommend at all as you don't start your week that refreshed and ready for work. It's when you fall asleep at your desk (which I did) that you know it's time to stop.

So yes, February is going to be about relationships and I am checking back in with my friends and family, before they write me off.

FED UP WITH MEETUP

2011-01-21T14:53:00.000-05:00

As part of our marketing strategy last year we signed up for Meetup, through which you can post your events, attract people to join your group and hopefully attend your events.

Sounded like a plan. However it was a lot of work to post the events each month, (we offer 10-12), do the follow up ranking of the meetings and keep connected with those who joined our group.

We ended up with 39 members, none of whom attended any meetings. So while posting on this site was perhaps creating awareness, it wasn’t generating participants, and definitely not recruiting new members.

So I cancelled the listing, informed the members of our decision and encouraged them to come to an event to check us out.

You can therefore imagine my surprise when I get a copy of an email that Meetup has sent out advising the 39 members that we have discontinued the group, not found an organizer to take over and so they are opening it up to the “membership” for someone to apply to run the Company of Women group instead. People had 15 days to submit their application.

I don’t think so. As I said to the folks at Meet Up, “this is my company, my business and I have chosen not to do business with you..“ End of discussion. From my perspective, they have no right to approach complete strangers to see if they want to run a group that bares the name of my company and would have nothing to do with us.

What do you think?

EGO BE GONE

2011-01-15T12:41:00.000-05:00

I learned a tough life lesson recently. My ego can get in the way of doing the right and generous thing.

I had volunteered to be the editor of the local monthly newsletter in our community. As someone who has been paid to edit professionally, I believed I had something to offer and it would be a fun way to get to know the community.

But there lies the problem. I was seeing the newsletter as an extension and showcase of my professional skill, without giving too much consideration to the volunteers who dedicated their time to producing the articles.

I am known as a tight writer and editor, and nothing changed as I sat at the computer to edit the articles. Well, not everyone appreciated my editing style and I have already had a run-in with one volunteer whose pride was hurt, when I changed what she’d written.

Not a good start. But I am paying attention to the warning signs. I recognize that if I continue on this path of perfection, I will soon be writing the whole publication myself.

So I am letting go of my usual standards and working more to produce a publication that is truly representative of and written by members of the community. And I am eating humble pie as I try to woo back my disgruntled writer.

Oh the joys of volunteering. I have a feeling I am going to learn more than anyone, and hopefully not always the hard way.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

2011-01-07T14:26:00.000-05:00

Not necessarily.

But many new business owners are blinded by this belief.

Next week at the Toronto breakfast I am talking about how to find the ideal customer. A hot topic for small business owners.

When you start out, any customer will do as long as they pay and they pay on time. It’s all about keeping the financial wolves from the door and getting established. We also tend to offer a range of services or products in the hope that one will catch on and we will have found our niche. It is like a fishing expedition.

However, as time goes on, think about how much better it would be if you actually liked the customer, found the work interesting and yes, they paid on time. I don’t know about you but over the years, I have had some members who were, to put it politely “high maintenance” and when they didn’t renew for some reason, I was thrilled. That tells you something. How wonderful it would be if we could just work with people we feel connected to and akin with.

Initially we are just hungry for business, and so may not do the due diligence in determining who would be the “ideal customer.” Yet if we did, we could then be very focused in our marketing, and strategic in how reach and attract the perfect customers.

Being focused and clear on what you have to offer and who you want to serve is half the battle. It sounds simple, yet it doesn’t always happen and in fairness at the beginning, you just don’t know with certainty which of your offerings is going to be the one to take off.

I often compare this to the time we started a vegetable garden at the farm. We did not know what we were doing, but all enthusiastically we planted a broad selection of vegetables, many of which, I must confess did not survive.

One of the first to blossom and grow was the radishes. Now we don’t like radishes, so I questioned our wisdom in planting them in the first place. Likewise, when you start your business, you sow lots of seeds, not sure which will take off, but make sure you don’t throw in something that you don’t like to do.

Over the years at Company of Women we have narrowed down who we want to attract – from the broad definition of women, all shapes and sizes, to professional women in business (for themselves or someone else) who want to invest in themselves and in others.

Who’s your target audience? Be specific. The more you know about your ideal customers, the easier it is to plan a marketing campaign to reach them.

Feel the Fear

2010-12-29T12:33:00.000-05:00

Remember that book by Susan Jeffers, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway? That’s how I feel about 2011.

I have decided in my infinite wisdom that this is going to be THE year of growth, and in order to achieve the goals I have set for us, I am going for broke in hiring the staff and experts to make that happen.

Scary stuff I can tell you. But deep down I know, that if we are going to grow and succeed, I have to take a risk and staff up so we can handle that growth. I’ve also farmed out some of the staff responsibilities to outside service providers, so that in the office we can concentrate on what has to be done and what we do best.

Well, we will either be super-successful or hunkering down at the end of 2011. Time will tell and as a gambling woman, I’ve decided it will be the former, as the other option just doesn’t figure in my plans.

But you have a part of play in this plan. Are you a member? Why not? Now is the time to become part of our dynamic community of women. So my advice - first join Company of Women – it is worth it, I promise, second make sure you participate. Like anything else, you only get out of it, what you put in. So if you don’t attend events, you can’t really expect people to use your product or services – they don’t know who you are.

As Jeffers reflects, “not only am I going to experience fear whenever I am on unfamiliar territory, but so is everyone else.”

We’re in this together.

TIS THE SEASON..

2010-12-24T10:06:00.000-05:00

Just one more sleep. Are you excited? I have to confess the Christmas season brings out the kid in me. I love getting the perfect gift for everyone on my list.

I’m ready and as I look out my window at the farm, with snow deep on the ground, the festive scene is set.

My children and their respective partners will be arriving Christmas morning and then the fun begins. Like many families we have our traditions. First it is the stockings, when I like to sit back and watch everyone and their delight (I hope) at what Santa has brought them.

Then rather than have a free for all, one person opens a gift, and then someone else, and so on until all the parcels under the tree are opened and admired. My eco-conscious daughter will then gather up and carefully fold the wrapping and tissue paper so we can use it again.

Each year we receive a cookie jar, complete with cookies, from someone in my husband’s office. So we have fun speculating what the container will be and who will get to take it home. We have quite the collection let me tell you. I had no idea you could get so many different types of cookie jars!

Christmas is a time of family. It’s a time to remember Christmases past and give thanks to those who are no longer with us, because they have shaped our lives and while they be may gone, their love stays with us.

Have a good one.

PRESENCE OR PRESENTS… WHICH ARE YOU GIVING?

2010-12-16T06:25:00.000-05:00

Are you ready? Just nine days to go. I am quite proud of myself this year – I have stuck to my commitment not to overdo it. It’s a promise I make to myself every year but this is probably the first time that I have managed not to get carried away with the gift giving. We all have way too much stuff and I didn’t want to add to it. Instead, with some friends for example, we are donating to the charity of our choice.

We’re also hosting a couple of big parties over the holiday season, and again, I am feeling pretty laid back about it all. With one party, I didn’t even ask for people to let me know if they were coming or not. It was actually an oversight on my part, but you know what, it doesn’t matter because the people who show up are the ones who are meant to be there and I will have enough food, I am sure. And if I don’t, well it’s the people I want to see, not how much they can consume in two hours.

Now this really is a new attitude for me. In the past, I would have been double-checking with people to see if they were coming, perusing my cookbooks to plan the menus and cooking for weeks in advance. Not this year. I plan to actually enjoy the parties, rather than being stuck in the kitchen, cooking up a storm.

Why the difference? After a couple of stressful months waiting for test results to learn that it’s nothing too serious, I’ve realized – again – what’s important in life – and it’s presence, not presents.

So my gift to myself is to lighten up, enjoy the moment and treasure those I love.

PROMISES, PROMISES

2010-12-13T08:09:00.000-05:00

One of the constant debates in rural communities is when, just when, are going to get high speed Internet?

Remember dial-up? That’s our reality in the country. What you may have forgotten is just how slow it is. Downloading material is just out of the question, and if all of us in the area are online at the same time, forget it. Plus you are tying up a phone line.

In a recent editorial in Harrowsmith Country Life, I chuckled as I read the editorial, in which the country-living editor bemoaned the fact that despite numerous promises of high speed, he no longer believed companies that said they would deliver it.

Tired of waiting, we switched to satellite, but it’s an expensive option and if the weather is stormy, you are out of luck. It’s also not high-speed, so downloading is still a challenge.

Only a month ago we were told that high speed was coming to the neighbourhood, and I came home early to meet up with the installer. He never came. And this is a fairly typical scenario.

I am often asked why I don’t work more from home, especially with modern technology. But the truth of the matter is at the farm we don’t have the benefit of that technology.

When I talked to a young phone salesman, he explained that in some rural areas, we don’t have a “cable footprint.” Well it seems to me that it is time we did.

Removing the mask

2010-12-05T15:25:00.001-05:00

I wasn’t sure whether to post my blog last week. Should I be revealing that I sometimes get bogged down in my business, that I was running ragged and ready to pack it all in?

But my daughter encouraged me to put a face to the trials and tribulations of running your own business. And while I felt a bit vulnerable at revealing some home secrets, I have been touched by the response from people congratulating me on sharing my truth, and in some instances, their truth too.

We sometimes feel we live in a vacuum and no one else feels the same as we do, but we would be wrong. And sometimes when we drop the mask of perfection, we learn that we are not alone, and we are valued more for our honesty.

Well let’s hope so because my book is about done and it sure is honest, as I share the pitfalls I have fallen into as well as the successes we have experienced. I believe we can all learn from each other.

Right now some colleagues are reading it. If I felt vulnerable last week, that is nothing to what I feel now. I’m scared they will say I have wasted my time, and I should forget it and stick to my day job. Or that they will judge me, because I have put myself out there.

But I guess that is what leadership is all about – being prepared to stick your head out above the crowd and speak to what is important to you.

Finding My Remote Control

2010-11-25T12:29:00.000-05:00

I think there comes a time in your career as an entrepreneur, when your business has taken off and is beginning to run like a well-oiled machine and yet somehow you get lost.

Instead of focusing your energies on what turns your crank, you find yourself tied up in the day-to-day running of the business. If you are creative, and many entrepreneurs are, this can seem like a slow death by torture.

Well, the tap has been dripping on my head for a while now and I have started to feel trapped and suffocated by the very business I created with love and passion. Will someone please let me out of here, before my creative juices run totally dry!

Part of it I know is that I am exhausted. I haven’t taken much of a break over the last few years. I work 60 hour weeks and I have let myself become a martyr to my cause – and that’s not good. I almost need rescuing from this world I have created for myself.

About ready to throw in the towel, I met with my coach with the intention of working on an exit strategy. But she helped me see that I do have options. I can control what I want to do. It just means making some changes in the way we operate and in the way I see myself.

“You need to let go of being a manager, and become a leader, Anne.” she observed. How freeing is that! Leadership doesn’t scare me – I’ve been doing it all my life. Being a manager, on the other hand, now that is a totally different story.

We all start businesses with different strengths, interests and passions. It’s a combination of that commitment and determination that helps us become successful. And while I still have the passion, I haven’t been playing from my strengths for some time now. Instead I’ve got bogged down in a management role, and there are times when that seems stifling.

Before I totally burned out, I started this month taking my Fridays off – and that has made a difference. Not having to drive two hours on the 401, is an amazing gift to myself. And I plan to use the holidays to revisit what I want to do. Where do I fit in this company? What will bring me joy, bring back the excitement and that bounce to my step?

It will likely mean that we have to reconfigure the jobs in the office, so other people can take over the parts of the work that I want to shed. But that’s OK – it means growth for everyone, and provides an opportunity for us all to revisit what we want to do, so we are all motivated and working from our strengths.

Amazing how one short conversation can turn things around. Instead of closing our doors, I am actually excited at the idea of how I can shape my role to not only meet my needs, but draw on my talents and those of the rest of my team. I’ve found my remote control.

Will the real Anne Day please come back? I think she just might.

MENTORING

2010-11-20T15:11:00.000-05:00

When I look back on my career, I never really had a formal mentor. I was fortunate enough at one point to have a manager who saw skills and potential in me, long before I recognized my strengths, and she would assign me projects that were a stretch and through which I gained some confidence and expertise.

However, when you run your own business, you don’t have that insightful manager to point you in the right direction. That’s why the mentoring program offered through the Canadian Youth Business Foundation is such a good idea.

The organization not only hands out grants to young would-be entrepreneurs, but they match them up with a more seasoned business owner, so they are not alone and have someone to bounce around ideas and learn effective strategies to run their businesses.

I know I would have loved to have had someone like that when I launched my business, because at the beginning, you don’t know what you don’t know.

When I first started mentoring women entrepreneurs I was a bit nervous – after all what did I know about the IT industry, for example, but what I have found is that you don’t have to have all the answers, but can connect your protégé to someone who does. Plus, no matter what the business is, the issues are often the same. Much of it is common sense, and as someone who is older (not necessarily wiser), I have a lot of experiences from which to draw on.

Right now I am mentoring three young women and I find it’s a positive experience and I learn as much as hopefully they do.

On Wednesday, we are hosting a Mentoring for Growth panel and we will hear from one such mentoring pair on what has worked in their relationship and the impact on the young entrepreneur’s business.

One concern I hear from people is that they just don’t have the time, but you know what it doesn’t have to take hours – I allocate a certain amount of time each month to each young woman, book the time in advance and for that time period, they have my undivided attention, whether it be over the phone, by email or face-to-face. Yes, there is follow up and sometimes I link them with someone, but that’s it.

Bottom line, you can ask your questions, give advice but the end decision rests with the protégé as it should. Taking over is not helpful and does not instill confidence in the young business owner.

If you are interested in getting involved, check out the Foundation’s website at www.cybf.ca. There is a quote I’ve always liked – “all that you give to the lives of others, comes back into your own.”

POWER OF COLLABORATION AND CONNECTIVITY…not

2010-11-12T19:51:00.000-05:00

Did you know that the two big events that honour Canadian women are being held on the same night, at the same time and in the same city – Toronto?

It would appear that both WXN’s 100 Most Powerful Women (which was held over lunch in the past) and the Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year awards are scheduled for November 29.

But it was when I read the title of the WXN keynote presentation - the Power of Collaboration and Connectivity – that the irony of the situation struck me. Clearly these groups have not connected and if they have, there was no sense of collaboration, or they would have changed their plans.

As women there are so few celebrations when we can recognize and pay tribute to our peers, our role models. So it is too bad that these two leading organizations could not have got their acts together and chosen different dates.

Maybe it’s time to walk the talk.

REAL LEADERSHIP

2010-11-06T08:45:00.000-04:00

At the final ATHENA award presentation, my good friend, Diana Saulez, was honoured for all her hard work, commitment and leadership with ATHENA Oakville, and was presented with an ATHENA sculpture in recognition of her contribution. It was personally the highlight of the evening for me.

Now this was a complete surprise to Diana. She hadn’t even noticed that all her staff from Soleil Salon and Spa were in the audience as well as her son. They had been dodging in and out so she wouldn’t see them and give away the surprise. But you know what, I think even if Diana had seen them, she would never have imagined that they were there to celebrate her getting an award. She is so unassuming and modest, which is what makes her so special.

And this was evident in her acceptance speech. It truly was a surprise for her, so she gave an off-the-cuff, thank you speech. She was herself – real and humble. After a few tears, she started off emotionally saying she was truly grateful for waterproof mascara!

She then talked about how she got involved, her personal growth in leading ATHENA Oakville and how blessed she was to have surrounded herself with people who believed in her, gave her the courage to take risks, step out of her comfort zone and had the skills to help her achieve amazing success for ATHENA Oakville.

Now that is true leadership – humble, recognizing the contributions of others and sharing the spotlight.

Congratulations Diana.! You deserve all the kudos coming your way.

WOMEN RULE

2010-10-29T12:48:00.000-04:00

“Forget China, India and the Internet, economic growth is driven by women” The Economist.

I love this quote. It was one shared by a speaker from Portugal at the recent TIAW Global Summit. I learned so much at this two-day event, including the following inspiring story.

It is hard enough here to get a loan for your business, but imagine what it is like in other countries, where women have no rights, no property and no access to money.

That’s how it used to be in India, but thanks to the efforts of Selima Ahmad
and women like her, that situation is changing. A successful business owner herself, she could see that women were not able to get ahead without the support and finances to build a business.

So she lobbied to have a Women’s Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh. At first she was turned down, but she would not give up and found a loop-hole clause that meant that the government had to do something. They agreed to her request, provided she made it to the government buildings by a certain time to sign the documents. She lived 45 minutes from that location, and there was no way she could make their deadline.

Being a creative and determined woman, she decided to find alternative, fast transportation to get her there on time. So she called for an ambulance! You can just imagine the officials’ faces when she stepped out, pen in hand all ready to sign the necessary paperwork.

But she didn’t stop there, using the same lobby tactics and persistence, in 2006 she persuaded the banks to set aside $13 million to provide loans to women-owned businesses.

Oh that I wish she could do that here!

BUGS BE GONE

2010-10-23T16:14:00.000-04:00

I knew early on this fall that this past week would be a marathon. And I wasn’t wrong.

Last week started with the early Small Business Breakfast on the Monday. Tuesday saw another early start with the Small Business Trade Show in Toronto where we had a busy booth, which was followed that evening with our Oakville dinner.

That alone would be enough excitement for the week, but no, we had the launch in Pickering on the Wednesday night and Thursday was spent interviewing for our social media intern. The week came to a welcome close with the launch of our breakfast meetings in Kitchener.

But what I hadn’t calculated or allowed for – was this stubborn cold that is infiltrating offices and homes across Canada, and all three of us in the office are at varying stages of battling the bug.

When you have school-age children, it goes with the territory that you catch some of the germs they generously bring home. So Vesna was the first to fall foul of the cold.

Travelling on a plane, left me a sitting target and it didn’t help that a man actually sneezed all over me. Clearly he’d never watched the commercials of sneezing and coughing into his arm. So fresh and relaxed from my holiday, I brought home some extra unwanted baggage – a doozy of a cold which seems to have a life of its own. It has been two weeks now and it’s showing no signs of going away.

And inevitably, Megan succumbed and she’s been off all week.

So it was a struggle this week to pull off all the events, be professional and welcoming, while all the time we just wanted to be at home, cozy in our PJs, sipping hot lemon.

But that’s what we do as women, mothers and wives, isn’t it. We carry on.

TAKE A BREAK

2010-10-18T10:46:00.000-04:00

No phone. No emails. No interruptions. Sounds like heaven doesn’t it. Where was I? On my annual trek to the Isle of Man, which is a tiny island between England, Scotland and Ireland.

It’s my little piece of heaven and a step back in time. We even had good weather – with the sun shining, the water glistening and lashing to the shores, and the sheep grazing on the hills, the scenery is breathtaking and pretty hard to beat.

Unfortunately it is quite a distance to go, but well worth it once you get there. We walked, read books and just enjoyed the peace and quiet. We were even there to celebrate a friend’s 80th birthday.

As business owners we need to give ourselves permission to take a break, to refuel and recharge our energy for the months ahead. How many hours a week do you work? By my calculations, I can easily put in 60 hours/week.

After just a week away, I realize that is crazy and so I have resolved to take myself in hand and take more time for myself – just to read, write or reflect on life.

So next time you see me and I look all harried – remind me – to stop and take a breath.

PS – Back two days, and I get THE cold that is going around – that’s one of the negatives of being on a plane – you literally are a sitting target for those germs 

LET'S PARTY

2010-10-12T10:36:00.000-04:00

I recently attended the President’s Dinner – a homecoming alumni event at Sheridan College. It was a lovely evening and a great idea. I got to meet some interesting people and as a result felt a renewed investment in and connection to Sheridan.

Have you ever brought your customers together? Had them in the same room to meet, network and get to know one another? You know it might work well, and create a strong community of people who believe in what you do. It is also a way to thank them and show your appreciation for their business.

With the holiday season fast approaching, this could be the time to execute this strategy. If you do, let me know what happens. My guess, is it will strengthen your relationship with your customer base.

TRUST YOUR INTUITION

2010-10-03T10:08:00.000-04:00

I have a toothache. It’s been niggling away at me for weeks, actually months. I know I need to do something about it, but I’ve been trying to ignore it, in the hope it will just go away. I also know that it is going to be expensive to fix, so I hang in there, delaying what in the end is the inevitable.

Why do we do that? It’s the same in business. So often we don’t listen to our intuition and keep trying to fix something that is broken – be it an employee that is not working out, a client who isn’t a good fit, a process that doesn’t really generate the results we need or on the personal front, hanging in with a marriage that is beyond repair.

Always the optimist, I try to see the best in everyone and every opportunity, but sometimes I likely need to remove my rose-coloured glasses and face reality. Not everyone comes to the table with the same perspective. Not everyone is motivated to make a deal a win-win situation for all involved and more to the point, we don’t have to “get into bed” with everyone, just because they make what sounds like an attractive offer.

Listen to your gut. Let it guide you and don’t be afraid to take that tough decision. Deal with it. Ask yourself what is the worst that can happen. Sometimes, it is not as bad as you think. And you end up feeling more confident because you’ve done what you knew deep down had to be done.

And I know… I will call the dentist this week. I promise.

ARE YOU READY?

2010-09-26T12:10:00.000-04:00

Recently I received a call from someone who wanted to take her program on the road. She wanted my advice on how to proceed and how to take her business to the next level.

After asking a few questions, it was clear that while she’d had a lot of interest in her program from other cities, she needed to spend some time documenting what she did; thinking about the guidelines and parameters under which the program would work in other cities and build in some processes to ensure that the people or organizations she recruited would be true to the essence of her program.

I cautioned her about leaping in and trying to expand too quickly, especially if she didn’t have the staffing or programs in place to manage the growth. My suggestion was that she tried a pilot program, perhaps close to her base, so she could monitor what was happening and learn from that experience before embarking on a full-blown expansion.

As a community developer, I’ve often found that what works in one community, may not work in another and it is important to tailor your offerings to suit the local group. So I suggested that she might also want to think about what was a must-have, and what could be left to the discretion of the community.

So often we feel flattered and pressured when other groups express interest in having your program or service in their community. It is easy to get seduced into growing before you are ready.

Like any business expansion, there needs to be homework done to ensure that all the pieces are in place, not just one enthusiastic fan who could disappear just as fast she appeared, leaving you holding the baby.

HAVING A BAD DAY

2010-09-20T08:03:00.000-04:00

What a week. Especially on Monday. It seemed like Friday the 13th not Monday the 13th. Now I knew going into the week that it would be hectic, we had a lot on, but did not allow for how so many things could go wrong, and as a result delay everything.

First our Wednesday speaker emailed to say she was stuck in Tel Aviv and might not make it back in time. Decision time. Do we cancel now or run the risk of a no-show speaker? We cancelled which meant phone calls to all registered, refunds, etc…

One of the computers is out of commission but a quick call to our tech guy, and we are back in business. The next issue of the magazine arrives – great – it is one day early and now we can ship it out. No. The website at the courier service we use is down – all day.

You get the picture I am sure. I went to check my horoscope thinking it might give me a clue – I mean - perhaps in astrology-speak mercury was in retrograde or something, but it’s not that relevant. The next day, I decide early on to read my horoscope, hoping it would shed some light on the day ahead. Guess what – same wording.

That’s strange I thought and then I see it – at the bottom of the page. The Globe and Mail was apologizing because they’d printed Tuesday’s horoscopes on Monday. Good to know. Guess we weren’t the only ones having a bad day.

SLAYING SOME DRAGONS

2010-09-12T12:22:00.001-04:00

Do you have any irrational fears? This week I tackled a couple of mine head-on. I have never been a comfortable driver, although I will say with the move to the farm and my daily treks on the 401, I am getting better, but driving long distances is still not in my comfort zone, especially if I don’t know where I am going.

Then there’s public speaking, which many put pretty close to death on the fear scale. It has certainly been one of mine for years. Even in high school I would go to ridiculous lengths to avoid having to speak in front of a group of people, especially my peers.

I’ll admit Company of Women has helped me gain more confidence in this arena but I would never put myself out there as a public speaker, yet after this week – maybe I can.

I was invited to be the keynote speaker at the launch of the Peterborough Women’s Business Network 50 year celebration. I agreed – but as I was driving there on Wednesday I realized I was tackling two fears for the price of one. Driving and public speaking – all in one day – what was I thinking!

Well I got there and back in one piece without any incident – not sure what I would do without my GPS and as for the speech – I blew myself away – I didn’t even look at my notes and just talked for 45 minutes. As one person commented, this may have been the launch of my speaking career – but who knew. And the other neat part – I actually enjoyed it.

So never say never, because you could prove yourself wrong.

POSITIVE FEEDBACK COUNTS..

2010-09-06T16:32:00.000-04:00

I learned an important lesson this week. No matter how competent and professional people are, they still need to be told they are doing a good job.

As my way to say thank you to the writers for our magazine, Company, I hosted a luncheon in my home. This is actually an annual event in the summer, and my way of acknowledging their contribution to the success of the magazine.

However, as our discussion evolved, it became clear that writing makes us feel vulnerable because when your work is published, you really are putting yourself out there and leaving yourself open to criticism or negative comment.

And so the women were anxious to know if they were doing OK. I was surprised – because to my mind, if they weren’t doing OK – they’d be hearing from me or wouldn’t be writing for us anymore. What I’d forgotten is everyone needs to be validated; to know that they are on the right track and their efforts are appreciated.

So note to self – be more generous with the praise and positive feedback, because no matter who you are – hearing you are doing well, matters.

ASK AND YOU WILL RECEIVE

2010-08-26T12:51:00.000-04:00

Years ago, and I mean years ago, I used to have a parenting column in the local newspaper. Once a month I would tackle some issue related to raising children, often using my own experiences as fodder for the articles.

One such column addressed the challenges and competitiveness of Halloween. As someone who didn’t sew, I was complaining about how far we had come from the original concept of the kids just dressing up in what ever was around the house.

No, instead parents were creating costumes that were worthy of the local dramatic group, or spending a small fortune to buy one that represented the latest hot character – be it Superman or a creature from Star Wars.

Well, as a result of that column, a neighbour, an older woman whose kids were long gone from home, came over with several costumes. She’d read my article, and taking pity on my lack of sewing skills, gave me the costumes, so that my girls could look the part and hold their heads high that Halloween.

While I hadn’t expected my neighbour’s generosity, this story does show the power of putting it out there – of stating what you need – even back then the universe provided. What do you need? Have you asked for help?

In a recent LinkedIn discussion in the Company of Women group, one member asked about recommendations for email marketing. There has since been a flurry of emails, with other members being all-supportive, suggesting different resources. A modern-day example of how when you ask for help, people will rally round. Why not try it, you might be surprised.

Now after the success of the Halloween column, my husband, always quick on the uptake, suggested that in my next column I write that I couldn’t cook, hoping that the reaction would be similar and people would drop off meals!

And no, I didn’t. You also need to learn when to stop while you are ahead.

NO MORE NICE GIRL?

2010-08-17T07:53:00.000-04:00

For years now emotional intelligence (EI) has been touted as an important skill set to have, and one that women in particular, have mastered.

It was Daniel Goleman who popularized this concept. He found that the most effective leaders were alike in one crucial way – they had emotional intelligence. They had empathy for other people.

However, recently German researchers have found that being nice doesn’t pay and in fact women who are agreeable, earned $80,000 less in their lifetime that those who were more ruthless and demonstrated more male behaviours.

It is now believed that to survive and succeed in business, you need toughness. So often, observes Suzy Welch, former editor of the Harvard Business Review, women take on the good mother role. She believes that “empathy paralyzes you when you need to make tough people decisions or give tough feedback.”

And certainly when you talk to successful entrepreneurs, they admit that they’ve kept someone on the payroll longer than they should and that in hindsight, they would have done better to fire the employee early on when the signs were there that it wasn’t going to work.

Another component of emotional intelligence is self-knowledge and this too, researchers believe, turns out to be a dangerous weapon for women at work. Research suggests that men tend to over-estimate their abilities, while women tend to underestimate theirs. Women doubt themselves and self-doubt is not an asset in business.

However, in a recent study, How Remarkable Women Lead, the two female consultants argue that a woman’s emotional depth helps her be not just a better person, but a better leader who can deliver results.

Personally I like the way women lead and their collaborative approach to business. Being sensitive to people’s needs can take you a long way. But success lies in knowing when to use your emotional intelligence, and when to make the tough decisions that have to be made if your business is to survive and grow.

What do you think?

A cautionary tale

2010-08-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

I recently attended a free workshop, which while mildly informative, seemed aimed at promoting a bigger, better and expensive event down the road. Throughout the workshop there were hints of what was to come if we signed up, almost a tease if you will, and the last fifteen minutes were totally spent up-selling us on this other program. I know... nothing in life is free, and what did I expect.

Well I left at that point, thinking thanks, but no thanks. However, later I received a phone call to see if I was interested, and I advised no. Then I received around six emails in that many days, encouraging me to sign up and not miss out on this special offer, which frankly at over $1,200+ did not seem that special an offer to me. Ultimately, weary of all the solicitation, I unsubscribed.

End of story, or so I thought. So you can imagine my annoyance when I received an email from someone who had taken the training, was raving about it and introducing me to the presenter, who gave a further pitch for the next program to be offered.

I‘m not normally someone who reacts strongly or so immediately, but in this instance I zapped off an email saying I didn’t appreciate this overture and that it seemed like someone trying to sneak in the back door, when I had already locked it.

Now I personally like and respect the people involved, but they are misguided. They need to know that this form of aggressive selling, truly doesn’t work with people like me. In fact, it does the opposite, it is a total turn-off.

So if you are someone who believes that aggressive sales tactics are perfectly fine and part of doing business, fine, but just don’t bother me, because I am not home, I am not interested and I am not buying. Period.

READ THE SMALL PRINT

2010-08-06T06:49:00.000-04:00

We’re always told to be careful about the small print. I remember hearing a story of how one company got people to sign up, and by just clicking on their site that you agreed to the terms and conditions, you’d actually agreed to sell your soul.

Clearly this company was making a point. We’re often all too quick to check that little box, without really reading it through.

Last week, I almost… almost, made a grave error. I’d agreed dates with the venue we’ve used for the past year for our breakfast meetings and they’d sent me the contracts to sign. I’d actually signed one when I suddenly looked at the figures. They didn’t make sense and when I got out my calculator and did the math, I found that they’d doubled the price!

They didn’t point this out. Maybe they thought I would just sign – and I nearly did or that I would be fine paying more than I am charging. Right. And there was also no negotiation once I confronted them on it, so guess what … we’re dining elsewhere.

But the moral of this story, is check the bottom line. Don’t always assume that people will alert you to changes. Read the small print, because we’d hate you to lose your soul.

DO WOMEN HAVE THE WINNING INSTINCT?

2010-07-29T17:09:00.000-04:00

This spring we had a panel of successful athletes share how to develop a winning attitude. Much of their conversation focused on our inner talk, and how when we focus, visualize ourselves winning, it can happen.

So I was interested to read the latest research in a recent issue of Psychologies about whether women really have the winning instinct. Traditionally we assume that women are less competitive than men, and lack the killer instinct that will enable them to win at all costs. However, the latest research shows that women can and do compete, they just experience the stress of competing differently to men.

“We found that men and women were just as good as each other at coping with stress, but worry about different things.” Observes sports psychologist .Dr. Mariana Kaiseler. “Men are more stressed by outcomes and whether they will win or lose. Getting the reward is their main motivation.” Women on the other hand are more concerned about performance. Men rely on planning prior to a game, while women prefer to talk about their anxieties.

Significantly researchers have found that while women admit to more anxiety, it doesn’t appear to make them less successful. If anything admitting to anxieties and fears can be positive. Women tend to be more co-operative and have greater levels of self-disclosure and as a result, they are more likely to get help for a problem. Whereas men are more closed and don’t like to admit to weaknesses.

Another female trait is that women tend to downplay their abilities on and off the sports pitch, but men come across as more confident and tend to rate themselves higher, whether worthy of that rating or not.

Sports psychologists describe mental toughness as key to success and there are the four C’s – commitment to winning, confidence, ability to control your emotions and view a stressful situation as a challenge. Certainly as entrepreneurs we often see challenges as opportunities.

Here are four tips that the sports psychologists provide on cultivating a winning instinct:

1. Overcome negative thoughts – Walk away or distract yourself if you fall into negative predictions of what could happen.

2. Don’t let one mistake colour the rest of your performance. See it as a one-off and look at ways to learn from that situation.

3. Reflect on why really want to win and do well. Is it to please other people or does the desire come from within you to prove yourself?

4. Accept that you are not perfect. After making an error, the best players refocus very quickly on what’s in front of them. Learn to deal with setbacks and move on.

QUICK ASSUMPTIONS

2010-07-26T12:02:00.000-04:00

Have you ever noticed how some words take on a whole meaning of their own? How we can get the wrong end of the stick by making quick assumptions?

For example, much is written these days about social media and if you just latch on to the word social you could assume, wrongly in my view, that it was just about making friends and being social, rather than being about business and involve work.

When I worked in government I reported to someone who didn’t like the word play with regards to children – it sounded too frivolous to him – so we had to change all the wording in documents to read knowledge-based activities. Given that children learn through play this wasn’t far off the mark, but why make it so complicated and what was wrong with saying it as it is?

More recently, I’ve come across the book The One Page Business Plan which my Me Inc participants asked me to include in the program. Now this is a useful book and it does walk you through the process, but the words one-page do imply a quick fix, an easy task. That you can boil down your plans to one page, actually requires a lot of work. You still have to go through the research, do your homework and think through what you actually want to achieve. The fact that you can capture it on one page is the bonus, but without doing the work required to get there, it’s a waste of paper.

We live in a world that wants instant fixes, that makes quick assumptions and judgments, and sometimes, we just have to slow down, and do it the old-fashioned way –one step at a time.

THE WORST DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN

2010-07-17T11:58:00.000-04:00

We just got cows on our farm, which I suppose given the acronym of Company of Women may seem appropriate. But I was not enthusiastic, and in fact told my husband that living on a farm was one thing, but I hadn’t signed up for cows.

Of course, regardless of my concerns, he went ahead. There are eight of them – mainly black and white and one brown fellow that kind of gets left out by the others. It’s as if they know she’s different.

My fears focused on the noise – like they would wake us up early at weekends – and the smell, and I have to confess neither has happened. In fact I think I have only heard them “moo” once. They are in such a large field, which admittedly is near the farmhouse, but we hardly ever see them. In fact I started to get concerned one day when I hadn’t seen them for a while. I had this picture in my mind of them lying legs in the air in the middle of the field, and we’d never know.

You may be thinking this is all very nice and domestic Anne but what does it have to do with business? Well, my point to this story is that sometimes the worst doesn’t happen and when we are open to new experiences, we can be pleasantly surprised. I actually like having them around – but ssh that’s our secret – heaven knows what Andy would get next if he knew he’d converted me.

And no, we haven’t named them. Although my son-in-law came up with a few names like sirloin steak and ground beef.

WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER

2010-07-15T10:41:00.000-04:00

Is there part of your work that always seems to be a thorn in your side – sort of a necessary evil? That is how I feel about our print directory. I never forget the first one we did – it was like Murphy’s Law – what could go wrong, did. From losing the database to computer crashes to people getting sick, the 2004 directory finally appeared six months late and in 2005!

And here we are again. We’re about to publish the directory – this time using a new format – and already we’ve hit a snag. A pretty big one. Despite all the emails, the reminders and prompts, over 120 members have not got their information up on the website, which is where we take the data for the print directory.

So like the teacher chastising the tardy students, last night I emailed each and every one of them to give an extended deadline, with the warning that if they don’t get it in by then, they’re out of luck and we proceed without them.

I know we are all busy with far too much to do, myself included. Although I have to say, I work well to deadlines. My concern is that you can bet some of these people will be the first to complain that they didn’t get any business through us, when they haven’t done their bit to make it happen.

There, lecture over. The one good thing from the personal emails, is that members seem grateful that we’ve taken the time to contact them. Personally I call it customer service.

TRY FIRST

2010-07-09T12:08:00.000-04:00

When my kids were growing up, they would often ask where something was before even looking for it, and invariably it was right in front of them. And at times, well occasionally, they thought Mom had extra-special vision as even from a distance I would instinctively know where something was located.

Unfortunately some of us carry this practice into adulthood, and rather than persevere and try to learn for ourselves, we automatically assume we can’t and ask someone else for the answers or to do it for us. I know I have been guilty of this one, especially around anything technical or mathematical.

But really we sell ourselves short. And think of the sense of accomplishment, if we worked it all out and did it for ourselves. So next time you are faced with something you are not sure how to do, take a deep breath, tell yourself you can, and give it the “good college try” because when we revert back to the practices of childhood, we don’t move forward, in fact we go back.

ONE STEP AT A TIME

2010-07-01T09:33:00.000-04:00

To celebrate Canada Day, one of our farm neighbours held a barn dance last weekend where we all learned to square dance.

Definitely a new experience and I have to confess, my husband was a reluctant participant. He’s hard to get on the dance floor at the best of times, let alone to learn something new.

It was interesting to see how the instructor taught us. First he would walk us through the steps – starting with basics, then we did it to music. We’d have a break and then he’d up the ante a bit, and teach us something a bit more complicated. This went on all evening, until the finale which was by far the most difficult routine.

Not sure what he does for his day job, but he sure understood how adults learn. He built it up gradually, rather than shoving us in at the deep end. He let us walk through the steps without music first so that by the time we did the dance, we had a sense of what to do. By the end of the evening, we had more confidence and could tackle that last dance, but if he’d started there, he would have lost us. Giving us breaks worked well too – and actually we needed them because it is quite a work out.

Starting a business is just the same. We need to start in the shallow end. Do our homework, learn the basic steps and building on that, move forward. So often people are impatient, anxious to get going, without realizing that you have to lay the foundation if you want to build a solid business.

Just as Gary Vaynerchuk says in his book, Why Now is Time to Crush It! Cash in on Your Passion, you have to prepare yourself for a marathon. Few of us make it in a sprint.

And as for the square dancing – you know what - it was fun.

2010-06-28T08:32:00.001-04:00

Read Why Now is the Time to Crush It! Cash in On Your Passion this weekend. As recommended by author, have signed up for Ping

WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT ALL

2010-06-26T12:27:00.000-04:00

Like many women, I like to keep people happy. Although I have learned through my seven years of running Company of Women that this is impossible. You can’t please everyone – I just look at the diverse range of evaluations we receive after an event, to wonder if the respondents were actually at the same event! And as for those who complain about too much balsamic vinegar in the dressing – they need to get a life.

So I really thought I had got over this need to please. Wrong. On Tuesday, our new team at Company of Women, eight of us in total, went off for a retreat. We wanted to spend the day together, getting to know one another and forming a shared vision for the future.

It was exciting for me to see others so enthusiastic about Company of Women and what we can do to help women grow, both professionally and personally. As one person observed, as a group we were pretty diverse in our backgrounds and experiences, but then so is our membership, and there was mutual respect for what we could accomplish together.

In our recent survey, women had raised several ideas of how Company of Women could support them. We were using those results to brainstorm ways in which we could address those needs. As ever keen to meet those expectations, I had all sorts of ideas of what we could do, but the team was quick to remind me that we can’t be all things to all people and perhaps the women had to take responsibility for helping themselves achieve their goals.

It was a timely reminder that I need to keep my focus laser-sharp or we run the risk of diluting what we do and spreading our limited resources too thin. Left to my own devices, I likely would have just leapt in, which speaks to the importance of surrounding yourself with people who will give honest feedback and tell you when you are moving in the wrong direction.

And it is not that we are going to ignore the survey results, but more we will look at what we currently offer and make sure people are aware of the opportunities available to them and will form strategic alliances where appropriate, rather than relying and delivering all the programs and services ourselves.

WE FOUND OUR BEAT

2010-06-19T09:05:00.001-04:00

I must confess I was bit like a little kid organizing a surprise party. Only a handful of people knew what we were planning at the end of our Journey to Success conference. We called the session Finding Your Beat – an interactive activity – which actually accurately described what we would be doing – but I suspect no one really imagined that it would be drumming.

We led the women into the room, table by table, as the drummers drummed them in. Without a word being said, the women picked a drum, sat down and started drumming. It was fascinating to watch as women joined in. There they were, many in their finest, with an African drum between their legs, pounding and following the rhythm in the room.

Most people, myself included, really got into it and when we finished our first “performance” there was a loud howl as we congratulated ourselves on the music we’d made.

Now ending the conference on this “note” was a risk, and to be honest not everyone participated, some people left and that is fair enough, but for those who stayed (around 150 women) it was an empowering way to end an inspiring day and my sense was that the women left feeling they could tackle anything.

And Terri – who led us through the activity, landed another contract from someone who participated. Now that is what it is all about.

Oh The Places You will Go

2010-06-12T08:54:00.000-04:00

It’s done. I shared my pearls of wisdom with the 2010 graduating class from Sheridan College on Wednesday. It was quite the gathering with over 300 students graduating from the ECE program, plus their family and friends.

I can’t tell you how many times I wrote and re-wrote that speech. I would write it, rehearse it in my head as I went to sleep and then when I woke in the morning, decide, no, it still needed some fine-tuning.

I also asked around to find out what Convocation speeches usually cover. The main feedback was that they are boring. Definitely didn’t want to go there.

In the end I used a combination of previous versions, and added as I went along at the actual event. I narrowed it down to four pieces of advice – any more than that and I thought I would lose their attention, and being menopausal I didn’t want to stretch my memory either!

What did I say?

1. Take risks – stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone. Even if it doesn’t work out, it’s a lesson learned, not a mistake.

2. Volunteer – you gain as much as you give, if not more

3. Your attitude determines your altitude. Life happens and while you can’t control everything, you can control how you react.

4. Believe in yourself. Surround yourself with positive people who will support you. Make sure to take time for yourself.

I ended by reading a few verses from Dr. Seuss’ “Oh, the Places You’ll Go.”

My thanks to those of you who sent in tips and advice to share with the students. I tried to incorporate them where I could.

And the response – I got a lot of positive feedback from teachers, parents and students, including one young man who has attended all the convocations so far this year and thought my speech was by far the best. So all in all – a worthwhile experience for everyone.

WORDS OF WISDOM

2010-06-05T09:35:00.000-04:00

What advice would you give to graduating students about to embark on their career?

I have been pondering this for a few weeks now since I was asked to speak at the Convocation for students graduating from the Early Childhood Education program at Sheridan College.

Suddenly clichéd phrases like “find your passion” seem overused and what does that mean anyway? In a recent blog, Seth Godin brought up the whole art of speaking simply instead of trying to impress or confuse the listener with a stream of words that frankly amount to nothing. And I agree. But then I have always been of the ilk that what you see, is what you get.

I have ten minutes to share the wisdom I have learned in over 40 years of working. Hmm. Where to start? I’ve decided to focus on taking risks and being open to new opportunities. Perhaps that’s my entrepreneurial spirit speaking out, but I would hate to see young people stuck, although with the way they seem to skip from one job to the next, this may not be a concern for them.

But it’s not so much about the job jumping, it’s about being open to changing careers. I find that young people sometimes think that once they have settled on a career, that’s it, whether they like it or not. I don’t know about you, but I have had a very eclectic career working in different sectors, although admittedly always focusing on women or children.

When I think of all the lessons I have learned, it has always been when I have stretched myself or made an error in judgement. Note I don’t say mistake, because I don’t think they are mistakes – they are lessons I had to learn, and sometimes the hard way.

Truth of the matter is, no matter what I say on Wednesday, these young people will go forward and learn their own lessons. You just want them to do so with their self-esteem in tact and surrounded by people who care for them.

It takes me back to my early days of teaching a program called Your Child’s Self Esteem, where the two key ingredients to having high self-esteem are believing “I am lovable” and “I am worthwhile.” Seems to me the same applies to us as adults.

WHEN WEST MEETS EAST

2010-05-31T05:50:00.000-04:00

Istanbul is a city of contrasts. It has one foot in the western world, symbolized by the tall high rises on the city landscape, but with over 2,200 mosques across the city; the women, young and old, wearing headscarves and the chanting throughout the day, you cannot deny the strong religious and eastern overtones. And then there’s the pockets of poverty, where buildings that are crumbling and collapsing, are actually lived in and like any other major city, where street beggars, often children, approach you for money.

The International Women’s Leadership and Entrepreneurship Summit was very much like the city.

Organized by Kagider, the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey, like the tall buildings, these women stood out. To be a member of the association they have to achieve a certain level of success and with their power and influence, they wanted to create awareness and dialogue about the important role of women in Turkish society.

And they are to be congratulated on bringing such a diverse group of speakers together – from senior ministers within the Turkish government, to leaders in the corporate world, to academics and a handful of “experts” from around the world.

However, like the city itself, you could not ignore the religious implications of being a woman in Turkey. Without doubt, the most heated discussions (and I mean heated) centred on religion and diversity. Listening through an interpreter made it hard to follow at times and it became so explosive that you could see that these issues are deep-rooted and not going to be resolved easily. It’s complex but at least the summit opened the doors for dialogue on topics that are not normally aired in a public forum.

While outwardly Turkey appears to be a progressive country , like the pockets of poverty, there are areas where they have a long way to go in supporting women. With only 26% of women in the labour force, the infrastructure is just not in place. For example, child care for working mothers is minimal and gender equity policies not developed or implemented.

In Canada our research has shown that the first six years of a child’s life are the most important in terms of learning. In Turkey, preschool programs for children are only for the few families who can afford it and the compulsory starting age for school is six. All of which has implications for the growth and development of children, and impacts their mothers’ potential to work outside the home.

Listening for two days through a translator, has given me a fresh perspective on what it is like to come to a country and not understand the language. It is hard to concentrate for that long and in not knowing the language, you also miss the nuances of what is being said.

All this to say, that I am still digesting all that I learned at the summit – about Turkey, the plight of women living there and my own understanding and acceptance of cultural differences. But one thing I do know, I met some fascinating and wonderful women who enriched the experience and with whom I hope to keep in touch.

And hey – I can now say I am an international speaker!!

GOING GLOBAL

2010-05-20T10:48:00.000-04:00

Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Pamela Wallin, someone I have admired and respected for a long time. She started off as a social worker in the prison system – a far cry from where she has landed as a Senator in the Canadian Parliament.

When I asked her about whether she had any idea of how her life would unfold, she told me that her rule was to say “yes” to anything that took her out of her comfort zone.

I remembered her words when I was asked to come speak at the Global Women’s Leadership Summit in Turkey, because my first reaction was to decline as public speaking is definitely not in my comfort zone! Plus no pressure, Hillary Clinton was their keynote last year. So with some fear and in trepidation, I said yes, and here I am today, getting packed up and ready to go.

The organizers have sent me the questions in advance and I am glad they did, because the role of civic society is not something I tend to think about on a daily basis. As I look at the array of speakers in place – professors, diplomats and women leaders from around the world, I am trying not to get intimidated.

I’ve done my homework. In fact, I was still researching on the weekend and then decided to stop. I have to remind myself that I need to talk about what I know, as someone “in the trenches” if you will.

So stay tuned as I go global.

LATEST SCOOP ON GOOGLE

2010-05-17T07:55:00.000-04:00

Did you know that Canadians carry out on average 143 searches on Google a month? Or that the location of Tim Hortons is the most downloaded information in Canada?

These were just two of the facts shared at our Toronto breakfast when Sabrina Geremia
from Google came to share the latest from Google.. And for those of you who were not there, here are the seven tools she recommended for small business owners:

1. Ad words
2. Google Analytics
3. Google Insight and Search
4. YouTube.com
5. Google Enterprise
6. Moderator
7. Webmaster

Many of these resources are free of charge.

It is predicted that by 2013, the mobile will be the most common way to access the Internet.

Doubt be gone

2010-05-09T08:57:00.000-04:00

As I go through the surveys recently completed by women who are part of the Company of Women community, I am struck by how many have told us that they feel isolated and suffer from self-doubt, questioning their ability to make their business a success.

It’s good to know really because all of us go through those emotions, and we tend to think we are the only ones who struggle with our confidence. Wrong. Everyone, even the most successful, has had moments of self-doubt.

The key is not to let the fear paralyze you, making it impossible to move forward with your dreams.

Whenever I have felt overwhelmed and out of my depth, I have called on my friends to bolster me up – and they do – just as I do for them when they need an injection of confidence. Think about who you could call on – who’s on your team?

And if my confidence reaches a real low, I go to my Success Box, where I have kept press clippings, thank you letters and other evidence of my abilities, and I read through the contents. They remind me of the skills and strengths I bring to my business. What would you keep?

When I was first working at home, I would consciously arrange meetings so that I had something and someone to meet most days. This helped to reduce the sense of isolation I would feel. It was good to get out beyond the four walls of my home office – even if it was just to meet a friend for coffee – it worked.

One of the challenges when you first start out, is you don’t know what you don’t know. I found reading business books, talking to other more seasoned business owners and taking courses helped to build my repertoire of knowledge.

Mary Kay once said if you think you can, you can and if you think you can’t, you’re right. Believe you can, and it will happen.

PS There are some great suggestions in our Company of Women LinkedIn group

Working Together

2010-04-30T08:10:00.000-04:00

Maybe I have been mixing with the wrong crowd in the past, but lately it has been exciting to meet up with people who actually get it. They want to work with you, but realize it has to be win-win for all involved.

So when someone starts off the conversation asking how can they help me, they’re one step closer to winning me over. Now that doesn’t mean that I am an easy target. I try to be strategic in who I partner up with, but at best, it is an indicator that the person or company recognizes the value of working together and is willing to give in order to gain.

In another life I was a community developer, and much of that role was listening and trying to bring the right players together to make change happen. Seems to me, that’s a bit like what I do now. It’s just the playing field has changed and the rules might be slightly different.

Personally I love the challenge of coming up with creative ways of doing business differently so that all involved get something out of it. Going into the meeting with a game plan is key, so that you know ahead of time what you want, what you won’t give (our database is one) and how far you will go to make the deal happen.

So next time you are meeting with someone to talk business – start the conversation by asking “How can I help you?” Likely you will be amazed at the outcome.