We explored purple...

For Immediate Release: EXPLORING GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE WORKPLACE

VANCOUVER – (May 27, 2010) On May 14, 2010, Vancouver’s professionals gathered at UBC Robson Square to participate in a conversation about gender differences in the workplace.  The Young Women in Business network (YWiB) gathered seven of Vancouver’s top male and female CEO’s to provide their insights and share their experiences.

The esteemed panel included retired CEO of BC Hydro Bob Elton, Founder and CEO of GhostCEO Chris Flett, Founder and CEO of Nurse Next Door Ken Sim, CEO of VanCity Tamara Vrooman, President of Weyerhaeuser Anne Giardini, and Co-Founder and CEO of Webnames.ca Cybele Negris.

Moderated by Founder and CEO of Blo Blow Dry Bar, Judy Brooks, the panel was put on the spot when asked to give their opinions on some tough topics.  When asked if they felt women were at a disadvantage in the workplace, Flett explained, “Being a woman is never an excuse in business – the business world is not fair, but everyone has the same opportunity to decide what actions they will take.” The women in the audience were encouraged to be assertive in the workplace and take charge of their careers. Elton brought to light an interesting statistic, “A man will apply for a job if he has five of the ten required qualifications, a woman may not even apply if she has nine.”

Both men and women in the audience were enlightened by Sim when he explained that he quit his lucrative job in investment banking because he wanted to start a family – and have the time to spend with them.  Vrooman supported his point with the observation; “We don’t give men enough opportunities to participate at home, which would give women the opportunity to participate more at work.” The challenges women face in building a home and supporting a family are experienced by men – they just aren’t talked about as much.

Sim further encouraged young professionals to do what they love and what they are passionate about.  To define a commonly used term, Negris explained that what is important is being passionate about what you do on a day to day basis, not necessarily the product you are selling.  Brooks further explained ‘doing what you’re passionate about’ using an analogy.  “If you’re passionate about drinking tea, it doesn’t mean you should open a tea shop. You may not like running a tea shop, or serving tea.” The Panelists agreed that passion and dedication go hand-in-hand and emphasized the value of networking and mentorships that organizations such as YWiB provide. Vrooman used an analogy- “going through life without a mentor or network is like setting out on a trip and having to not only go through the journey alone, but also build the road in front of you without a map and without knowing the terrain.”

The panel finished with a call for more young men to participate in the discussion.  While there were a few young men in the audience, YWiB will be working to further encourage the attendance of young men at future events.  Elton says, “When you get a group of men and women together, you get a much richer conversation.”

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YWiB President Paulina Lipska, and Marketing Director Marica Rizzo are available for comment and questions.

Paulina Lipska                                                 Marica Rizzo Email: paulina@ywib.ca Email: marica@ywib.ca

About YWiB:

The Young Women in Business Network is a non-profit society for emerging female leaders in Western Canada. The network acts as the central forum to connect ambitious young women from a variety of careers, industries, and backgrounds. YWiB hosts a variety of events that provide members with opportunities to develop relevant skills and knowledge, so that they have the insight, support, and capability to reach their fullest personal and professional potential.

Speakers:

Bob Elton – Retired CEO of BC Hydro

Chris Flett – Founder and CEO of Ghost CEO

Ken Sim – Founder and CEO of Nurse Next Door

Anne Giardini - President of Weyerhaeuser

Tamara Vrooman – CEO of VanCity

Cybele Negris - Co-Founder and CEO of Webnames.ca

Judy Brooks - Founder and CEO of Blo Blow Dry Bar

My Campus CEO Experience

Wow, I feel so incredibly blessed to have been able to participate in Campus CEO.  Chris Flett truly is a business genius and the fact that he has been willing to personally train us has been an incredible experience.  Chris is a gutsy, bold, intelligent and  riveting speaker who keeps you at the edge during endless 'aha' moments.  I like to refer to him as the Simon Cowell of business - the guy who everyone respects because he says what no one is willing to say.  For this reason, the class has been hugely motivating, scary, life changing, and pattern breaking.  The class has challenged my 'nice girl' mentality by showing how we ladies need to be assertive in business-- and how it is actually appreciated in the business community.  I cannot say enough about the Campus CEO program and I would recommend that any young woman attend. It is an absolute steal to attend this course for only the cost of a YWiB membership and will change the way one views being in business forever.  Thanks for everything Tara and Chris!

Exploring Purple

where pink meets blue ... exploring purple

YWiB's next event is a lively & spirited discussion on women in business - a rebuttal to Beyond Pink's all-male panel session!  Our fantastic panel of speakers include:

• Judy Brooks, Blo Blow Dry Bar
• Bob Elton, BC Hydro
• Chris Flett, GhostCEO
• Ken Sim, Nurse Next Door
• Tamara Vrooman, Vancity
• Cybele Negris, Webnames.ca
• Anne Giardini, Weyerhaeuser

a special note for employees: click here for a letter signed by our event panelists and the YWiB board of advisors outlining the professional development benefits of this event.  this is something you can provide to your employer to assist in taking the afternoon to attend our event.

we look forward to seeing you there!

details to keep in mind

date | may 14th 2010 venue | ubc robson square @ theatre c300 time | one pm to three thirty pm rsvp | is now closed

ywib

event follow-up

exploring purple was a huge success! please see photos of our event: here

thank you to our partners:

• 24 Hours Newspaper
• The UBC Sauder School of Business
• Whole Foods
• The Secret Tea Garden Company
• Le Petit Spa

YWiB Gets Balanced at Aritzia

photo credit: Jeremy Lim

As a sold-out crowd buzzed around the chic new Aritzia store, I couldn’t help but anticipate the words of our speaker, Sally Parrott.  I knew that Sally was the Sr. Marketing Director of Aritzia, a thought that both intimidated and impressed me.  Surprise was all mine though, when a smiling, youthful looking woman addressed the crowd, with dewy freckled skin and long brown braided hair.  Pleasantly surprised to see someone so young in such a senior role, my attention was captured, along with the rest of the keen audience.

Although the theme of the evening was ‘Life Balance’, Sally did not make claims to have any secrets, referring to balance in life being a journey, not a destination.  What she did share, were six valuable lessons she has learned on her journey.

Lesson # 1:  Sometimes you just have to stop.  No one will judge you for it. During her mid 20’s, Sally left a cushy job at Proctor and Gamble to travel around the world.  People thought she was crazy, but she listened to herself and found fulfillment in it.

Lesson #2:  When you are doing something that matters to you, you will feel more balanced and find that life gets easier (not more difficult and more complicated). During a difficult time both personally and professionally, she seriously re-evaluated her life.  She felt out of balance and overwhelmed, but a fear of vulnerability prevented her from asking for help.  This stressful time spurred on a re-evaluation of her priorities and led her to made serious (life-giving) changes. Lesson # 3:  Become selfish with your time. Sally shared that “if people were taking more energy than giving, I stopped spending time with them”. A willingness to ‘clean house’ in relationships allowed her to spend her free time with those who restored her, not drained her.

Lesson # 4: Get help.  (Seek out mentors, peers, life coaches, etc.) Sally joined an executive group and hired a life coach.  The leap to start accepting help from others changed her life significantly, allowing her to grow by leaps and bounds.

Lesson # 5: Make time to do things that you love- just because—regardless of whether they further your career, make you thinner, healthier or smarter. In an effort to give back to herself she did things that she loved.  So she went to a dog show by herself even though her friends thought it was crazy.  She took herself on dates to treat herself right.

Lesson #6: Hold your boundaries. Sally shared, “the world will go by without you.  If you take everything on, people will let you".  Hold yourself and others accountable for respecting your boundaries in order to prevent burnout.

All in all, it was a fabulous evening, filled with decadent cupcakes (thanks to Big City Cupcakes), designers (Jennifer Irving and product developer Jennifer Christie),  shopping (thanks to the generous gift cards from Aritzia), photography (courtesy of the lovely Jeremy Lim) and new friends.  Thanks all for coming out!

Congratulations to Cybele Negris!

We would like to congratulate one of our amazing supporters, Cybele Negris!  Cybele has been recognized as one of the Influential Women in Business by Business in Vancouver.  She is the founder of Webnames.ca, and was a speaker at Beyond Pink 2008.  Cybele has been selected for her outstanding achievements in business and influence in the business community.

Cybele's fellow honorees include: Janet Austin, CEO, YWCA Vancouver (past YWiB speaker) Ida Goodreau, Corporate Director and former CEO LifeLabs and Vancouver Coastal Health Sarah Morgan-Silvester, Chancellor, University of British Columbia (past YWiB speaker) Janine North, CEO, Northern Development Initiative Trust

Lifetime Achievement Award - Julia Levy, Corporate Director and Co-Founder QLT Inc.

Congratulations Cybele, and thank you for your ongoing support of YWiB!  See below for an exclusive chat with Cybele on her thoughts for women in business:

where do you go for inspiration? I have chaired the e-series Program (entrepreneur training for high-growth businesses) at the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs for a number of years. each year we choose 15 women entrepreneurs to participate in a 6 month program of education and mentorship. we bring in the speakers/instructors who are entrepreneurs themselves who have done it all before or experts in specific  topics who are the top of their industry. I get inspired by the women participating as well as the speakers. even though I have witnessed these sessions numerous times over the years, each session I attend still re-energizes me to keep driving my own business to the next level.

when balancing your life, what actually works? it is still a work in progress for me.  between Webnames.ca, a construction business with my husband, serving on the boards of 4 organizations (Small Business BC, Vancouver Economic  Development Commission, Small Business Roundtable of BC, Forum for Women Entrepreneurs), chairing a charity event (Canary Derby – technology community building and racing soapbox cars to raise money for early cancer detection for the BC Cancer Foundation) and 2 young children, time management is key.

luckily, I don’t need a lot of sleep and I tend to be up until 1 or 2am quite often to get everything done. I actually keep a spreadsheet which includes my top tasks for the week prioritized under each of the above commitments.  I’m also starting to learn how to say “no” which has not been easy for me. I try to limit  events outside of work hours to 1, maximum 2 a week and other evenings and weekends are dedicated to family. 

what advice would you give to your 20-year old self? simple - get yourself a mentor and network, network, network.  

as a woman working in technology and web, what were the most difficult obstacles to overcome? I don’t feel I have experienced any obstacles because I’m a woman in technology. in fact, it has been an advantage because there are so few women, especially those in executive positions, in technology. I have learned over time that it is a good thing to standout and to embrace it.

the technology industry as a whole for men and women moves extremely quickly so it is important to keep up with changes and not be left behind.  this can also become very distracting so balancing keeping up with the next big thing with focus on goals and objectives is always a challenge.

where do you find the most support in vancouver, as a woman in business as well as a mother?

• there is no lack of support for women in business in Vancouver. personally, I have been involved with the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs since its inception in 2002. Initially the focus was on high-growth business and this was a great fit for Webnames.ca. Over the years, programs have been expanded and developed to support other types of business at various levels of growth; now with seven core programs. I suggest all women in business join here.
• women in technology should join Wired Woman. Membership is free and their mentorship program has benefited over 330 women since launch in 2007.
• mothers should really check out the MomCafe Network with chapters in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto or Enterprising Moms Network with 8 chapters throughout BC and a Toronto chapter.
• looking for money to start or expand your business?  The Canadian Youth Business Foundation provides youth (age 18-34) with start-up financing of up to $15,000 based on the character of the business and a great business idea with flexible three to five year repayment schedules. They couple this with pre-launch coaching, business resources, and mentoring to increase the chance of success of these companies.  The Women’s Enterprise Centre offers loans up to $150,000 for BC women.
• young women really need to join Young Women in Business (YWIB) and I would not say this without having seen firsthand the level of leadership and quality of conferences and events hosted by this group.  To see such young women achieving their level of success and inspiring other young women is very special.
• the Women’s Enterprise Centre has a comprehensive list of organizations that support women in a variety of businesses and geographical locations.

what is your hope for young women just entering your field? I do hope first of all that more young women choose the technology field and that more strive for executive level positions. I also think of “my field” as entrepreneurship and I do believe more and more women will choose this path. ninety-eight per cent of businesses in BC are small business (defined as 50 employees or less) and 35% of these are currently owned by women.  since the mid-seventies, the Canadian growth rate for self-employment in women (5.3%) has been almost double of that of men (2.2%).  With more women balancing career and family and the flexibility self-employment affords owners, I see the number of women entrepreneurs continuing to grow. I hope that more women own and run higher growth businesses.

guilty pleasure? I don’t get much chance to watch TV and I hate to shop but I have to admit really enjoying the TV show “What Not To Wear”.

do you have a mantra or small bit of advice to share with the members of YWiB?

• advice: same as what I would have told my 20 year old self. get a mentor and network!
• mantra: work hard, be grateful for what you have and give back to the community.

Inspiration from Sally Parrott

Here are a few of our favourite quotes from our event last Monday when we partnered with Aritzia to bring you Sally Parrott! Share your favourite quotes, inspirations and brainwaves with us too! "Sometimes it's okay to get off the bus - it's about finding balance in your life"

"Actively deciding to do something that's important to me - sticking to your values and doing something you love"

"Make sure you have enough pie for everything you want to do"

"Be selfish with your time - if people were not adding value or are not giving as much as you are, there are people who are not contributing positive energy"

"You really have to figure out who you are and what  you stand for, developing yourself as an entire person"

Book recommendation: "The Artist's Way"

If you felt inspired and motivated by Sally, send us your thoughts, stories, or ideas and we'll post them here so you can share your comments with the YWiB community.  Email info@ywib.ca.

February is Health and Wellness Month

There are so many places to go for health advice I never know where to turn. Diet books, magazines, blogs, health food stores – you can get lost in it all. We all know it’s best to eat real food and move our bodies once in a while, but when it comes to overall health its best to talk to a pro. Luckily my dear friend Dr. Giselle Lefebvre, a Naturopathic Physician at Vancouver’s Sinclair Wellness Centre gave us a list of 5 simple things for us to do. First and foremost – •    Pay attention to how your body feels, how different foods effect your body, what happens when you stay hydrated all day. •    How are you sleeping? 7-9 hours waking rested? •    How are your bowel movements - ideally once a day. •    How is your cycle? Is your period regular? Future plans of having babies can be supported by doing the work now to ensure your body systems are healthy. •    How is your energy?

5 THINGS TO DO

Breathe - Pay attention to your breathing, it helps us deal with stress, keep our body oxygenated, and helps with our energy flow

Eat - Office work doesn't always support a proper diet. Have healthy snacks on hand. Whole food like fruit - apples are great and in season and travel well or try figs, dates or nuts. Make your own trail mix. Make sure to have lunch every day and don't spend that time at your desk. Give yourself a break from the florescent lights and get your body moving.

Drink - Workplace is full of coffee and muffins so do your best to not  get sucked in to the unhealthy lifestyle. Coffee is okay for the mornings but try alternatives for the rest of the day. Drink herbal teas such as rooiboos (antioxidants), mints (good for digestion) cold or hot.  Have lots of water and keep it by your desk at all times. Take movement breaks to fill it up every other hour.

Exercise - Movement is important.  Stretch every morning. Break a sweat at least three times a week. Since most jobs involve sitting all day, this affects posture, circulation and begs for weight gain. Move to help your blood circulate and rid yourself of the toxins of the work place.

Breaks - Take a technology break. Many of us spend ALL DAY with computers and then go home and do the same. Find space for nature and give your eyes a break. This will reduce eyestrain, carpal tunnel and headaches.

Starting a new job or semester means lots of change and a new schedule. It is good to take stock of where you are and also to pay attention to what your benefits are with the job. If you are spending all day in an office or library you need to take advantage of the support your job offers. Get a health team together to make sure those occasional aches and pains don't turn in to chronic problems. Remember this is the time to get a good understanding of your health - go see a naturopath to help you get yourself organized and learn simple natural ways to take better care of yourself.

For more questions visit Giselle at the Sinclair Wellness Centre located downtown Vancouver or email her at doctorgiselle@gmail.com.