The Way of the Entrepreneur: Hacking Your Personal Brand

"Your brand is the gateway to your true work. You know you are here to do something - to create something or help others in some way. The question is, how can you set up your life and work so that you can do it? The answer lies in your brand." - Dave Buck

This will be the first of YWiB's Dinner Series events - discover what it truly means to have a brand that transcends first impressions, reputation and business.   Learn how to hack your personal brand by learning from those who have perfected their to the word: the entrepreneurs.

This Dinner Series would be dynamic open discussion between you, your peers and 15 of Vancouver's top entrepreneurs.  You will discover how to leverage the world of personal branding in a entrepreneurship setting: dynamic networking, understanding your personal limits as well as what it means to be innovative. Dine with some of Vancouver's top entrepreneurs including:

Michelle Rupp, Lighthouse Communications Heather White, 2020 Communications Cybele Negris, Webnames.ca Jane Webb, The Brag Company Jill Earthy, FWE Judy Brooks, Blo Blow Dry Bar Lara Kozan, YYoga Ken Sim, Nurse Next Door Val Litwin, Blo Blow Dry Bar

Jump start the career you've always dreamed of and connect with an inspiring entrepreneur.  Start building your story... see you there!

date | september 29th 2010

time | 6pm

venue | azia restaurant [click here for directions]

price | basic member - eligible for your free event member price - $22.50 non-member price - $32.50

Click here to get your tickets today!

August Feature: An interview with Danielle LaPorte

Recently, we had the pleasure of interviewing the fabulous entrepreneurial Danielle LaPorte. She has trail blazed paths of inspiration and authenticity. She shares her knowledge generously through her website at whitehottruth as well as through a release of her new digital book, THE FIRE STARTER SESSIONS, which are designed to help entrepreneurs rock their career with integrity, audacity and their truest strengths. What's even more amazing is that it’s also created to give back, with portions of every purchase going to The Acumen Fund or WomenforWomen.

Danielle delivers on every level: smarts, guidance, authenticity, deep wisdom, intuition, killer business acumen and practicality." - Danielle Vieth

1) In the news story of your life, what would the headlines be?

That's a great question! It would be: Rising from the flames

2) What is it that you know now that you wished you knew as an emerging young women?

I wished that in my early twenties, that I would have honored my feelings more. I wouldn't have gotten in the habit of making myself wrong if my opinions didn't match somebody else's. Now I'm very clear, and this is also about what I talk alot about to entrepreneurs and women. Your feelings are your best guide for your strategies. That's it. Ignore your feelings at your own peril. And every entrepreneur, male or female will give you examples of this, and one way or another they the same thing I'm saying: at the end of the day all you have is your instinct, your intuition, your small little voice: that's your power slot.

They're everything. I think you need to do all those things (research, facts, etc.) but at the end of the day: it's your instincts that makes the decision.

3) You're one of those people who is really authentic and real which we greatly admire. What are some mistakes you think that young professional women entrepreneurs make compared to their male counterparts?

They don't speak up, they don't push because we dont want to be seen as aggressive. We don't want to be seen as b*tchy or over emotional and alot of the times, what is required is that warrior spirit with a feminine impulse. We're far too quiet.

4) That's really interesting,  because how do you walk the fine line then, between being seen as too aggressive but also having respect when holding the power?

"Walk the fine line" is an interesting metaphor. I say forget the fine line, forget being contained, forget staying between the bounds of that "fine line!" Certainly you do business with respect, morality, elegance, integrity... but forget the "fine line." It is the death of your passion and heart-connected intellect.

Steamroll the "fine line!" karate chop the line! Sometimes you need to step over it, you need to bend it. It's gone! Genius and great things are never achieved if you stay on your side of the fine line.

5) In your About Me section, you wrote that " I think that feminine power and progressive power will revolutionalize how we live." Where do you see these two elements intersecting to make way for the future of women in business?

I met with the Dalai Lama in my late twenties, and he said "women are the future. They are the future leaders because they have peace implicit within them." That seed was planted.

I think that feminine principles are characteristic such as inclusivity, a true sense of what is holistic, an easy compassion. The world needs that. Period. All of those things can be applied to really shrewd business strategy to make this world a better place and make money while you're doing it.

6) What is your favourite quote?

I don't know who said this, but I read it on a card in San Francisco:

" love everyone, trust few and paddle your own canoe"

Thank you so much for your time Danielle, We wish you the best and continue rocking!

YWiB is Recruiting

The YWiB family is growing and we have some exciting new positions! We are on the look-out for energetic & ambitious team players who are full of heart & excitement to further the goals of our organization.  You have to be smart, willing to learn and an awesome lady to work with. We are recruiting for the following positions [please click on the position names for a description of the role & responsibilities]:

A complete application includes:

  • your resume.
  • a cover letter that clearly states the position you are interested in.  it should also outline your motivation to join the YWiB team, relevant experience to the position you are applying for and the contributions you plan to make to young women in Vancouver.
  • filling out this my story template for us to learn more about you.

Applications are due by September 15th at 11:59pm – and should be emailed to info@ywib.ca with the subject field “YWiB Position Application – Position Name Here”."

YWiB – Introducing our new website

YWiB has launched a new version of our website – and we’re so excited!  It’s been in the works for quite some time and we’re thrilled with how it’s turned out. YWiB is growing up!

Yes, in the words of our webmaster, Tony Chu (to whom we are incredibly thankful!), “you’ve outgrown this website, it’s time we updated the look.” Taking that thought and adding the need for better functionality, the new website was born.

The overall goal of the new layout was to ensure there is more emphasis on the most pertinent information - most recent article or update.

Some of the updates include:

  • simplified navigation
  • calender of events
  • events page: easier and more frequent interaction with YWiB members

What's also exciting is that CampusCEO and Ladies in Pink participants will also be able to find the most up to date information on their program-specific pages as well.

Of course, there are still a few bugs that we’re working out and features to be added but we’re always looking for feedback on how to better provide for our members – so please email us with your thoughts on the website.

Meanwhile, enjoy!

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 Phone: 604-773-8078 Email: paulina@ywib.ca

Marica Rizzo Phone: 778-928-4884 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:

6 opinionated CEOs + 1 spunky moderator = insightful and energetic conversation

When you bring together some of Vancouver’s most opinionated CEOs you expect an energetic discussion, and the group delivered on just that.  Moderator Judy Brooks started with one of the most controversial quotes that came out of the All-Male Panel Session at Beyond Pink: “Women are already equal in the workplace, so let’s move on and have fun.” – Cameron Herald

Not entirely surprising, the men and women shared a similar point-of-view, flipping typical steroptypes upside down. Tamara Vrooman observed that “men aren’t typically given enough opportunities to participate in the home, which would give women more of an opportunity to participate at work.”  Ken Sim supported her point by sharing his story – he left a lucrative investment banking position to start his own business because he wanted to spend time with his children and at home. “The barriers for starting a family aren’t necessarily just for women,” Sim

Outside of the barriers to starting a family, Chris Flett had a different perspective, “Being a woman is never and excuse in business. The business world is not fair – but everyone has a fair chance.” Flett encouraged women to be assertive, take control of their careers, and not wait for someone to notice their hard work – men are more vocal about their accomplishments.  Bob Elton shared a statistic, “A man will apply for a job if he has five of the ten required qualifications; a woman will apply if she has nine.”

Brooks changed things up again when she asked (specifically to Flett) what their thoughts are on crying in the workplace.  Flett’s opinion? “Don’t do it. Never in the workplace – it shows a lack of control. Crying is not wrong, but know that crying in the workplace sends a message.” His advice? “Remove yourself from the situation and control how you interact.  Go to the bathroom – the stall is a great place for you to gain control.” Anne Giardini added, “crying affects everyone around you and spills over onto others – people may start thinking that ‘someone must have done something’ and rumors start.”

Elton and Sim defined a different type of crying in the workplace and noted that employers need to uphold a level of understanding and acceptance that crying may take place in certain situations.  Sim’s belief is that “the future reality will be that it is okay to cry because you’re being authentic – you have to ask yourself if you work in an environment where it’s not okay to cry.”

Then came the question we knew would come up…maternity leave.

Flett provided advice for women planning a maternity leave. “Make it easy on your boss – don’t become their problem. If you’re going on maternity leave, come to me with a solution – how is it going to work? Are you giving me enough advance notice for me to plan for it? Manage your maternity leave – women don’t do this well.” Then Flett dropped the “B-word”. Breeder. “If you mis-manage your maternity leave, you’ll leave your employer thinking ‘oh god, another breeder’.”

Vrooman added that employers also need to consider how they can support their employees – it’s tough to find good ones, so how can you encourage them to come back and stick around. The discussion then turned to the positives of maternity leave – namely that after having children, a woman becomes a stellar employee able to take on more and get more done. “During the nesting stage, a woman can get an entire years’ worth of work done in three months,” said Cybele Negris.  Sim agreed saying that he finds he’s better off hiring a woman, “more loyal and higher productivity.”

Brooks then specifically asked the men what they’ve learned from working with women. Elton: “The more women I work with, the better feedback I get. Women give it to you whether you ask for it or not.” Flett: “I used to think that if I wanted something done right I had to do it myself. Now I know better.” Sim: “Our company is much more strict about living up to our core values. We got rid of a client that was 80% of our profit because they treated our people like s*** - once we did that, other problems went away.”

Beyond Pink 2009 Co-Chair Maya Kolaczynski asked the panelists to share their advice for what young people can do to be taken more seriously in the workplace. Vrooman summed it up saying, “take time to listen to the experience and wisdom of the people around you – recognize that you have a lot to gain from those who have had different experiences. Young people fresh from university are always so keen to tell you what they know – work on being more humble and recognizing that you have the opportunity to learn more.”

And then came the question of the glass ceiling. Why don’t women make as much as men?

Simple. “Because they don’t ask for it, “says Flett. Negris added, “A study was released a few days ago that there are women who have broken the glass ceiling.” Check it out here. Negris encourages women to ask for what they think they deserve. “And back it up,” adds Flett.

Why YWiB? Why this event? Basically, Brooks was asking why they were all here on a Friday afternoon.

Flett: “This isn’t a women only conversation – it’s a leveling conversation. Men and women have to ask themselves if they are going to be a part of the solution or if they’re going to stick with the problem.”

Giardini: “We have a moral imperative to show our voices and shake the world, and that’s what you’ve brought us here to do.”

Sim joked, “I heard there would be a bunch of women here!” And his ‘real’ response, “I too have a lot to learn from being here.”

Vrooman: “Specifically because we invited men to share in the debate. We are preaching to the choir here and not reaching out to enough men.”

Negris: “I would have benefited from an organization like this when I was starting. I work so much with men – I want the mix of interacting with women.”

Elton: “You get a group of men together and you get a very compartmentalized discussion. You get a group of women together and you’re making connections to other things and other topics. You get men and women together and you get a much richer conversation.”

There were definitely men in the audience who found the conversation engaging and beneficial – one of them being my cousin, who called me the next day to tell me how much he learned from it, and how happy he was to have skipped class to be there.  The lesson: invite more men to YWiB events!

While this provides merely a snippet of the insightful conversation that took place – the conversation will continue. We’d love to hear what you thought and what you learned from the conversation! And if you have a favorite quote that I haven’t included here – send it in to info@ywib.ca.