Calling all YWiB'ers: Beyond Pink 2012 volunteer opportunities!

The inaugural Beyond Pink conference was launched in 2008 and has remained a staple of YWiB’s event repertoire ever since. We are so excited to be bringing the conference back in the fall of 2012 and we are looking for some phenomenal young women to create and execute the vision of this amazing project! This year, we are expecting the event to take place in late October/early November, over the span of a Friday & Saturday. We truly believe in bringing a world-class business conference to the next generation and effectively equipping women who have the ability and energy to make a positive impact to all those around them. As such, our main goal at Beyond Pink 2012 will be to elevate the overall value of the conference to to become the leading personal and professional development event for young women in Vancouver.

While maintaining the values that have launched Beyond Pink to its current success, this year we are also bringing a slew of amazing, new initiatives to the table. Our primary focus will be on practical, relevant skill set training for two main delegate groups - young professionals at the outset of their careers and more seasoned experts looking to further evolve their professional aptitude and potential.

As the only conference of its kind for young women in Vancouver, we are committed to maximizing the potential of Beyond Pink 2012! We are seeking a team of individuals that have the ambition, savvy creativity and real dedication to make this amazing conference happen. BP is also an excellent learning opportunity to gain experience and exposure to the local community and to create meaningful connections in Vancouver. If you are bursting at the seams to inspire and equip the young women of this city, we want to hear from you! Please click here for all BP available positions and for a full description of the event.  Make haste, because applications are due this Sunday, June 3!

my {YWiB} story: jithmi

We're gearing up for Beyond Pink 2012, and we're doing a throwback interview with one of our co-chairs from 2009! Read on to learn more about Jithmi Lokuge - an interview by Darya Niknamian. I had the opportunity to sit down with Jithmi and I didn’t want our conversation to end. I learned a lot from her and have started a bucket list as a result. Take a moment to get to know Jithmi and her involvement with YWiB; it may inspire you to try something new.

Getting to Know Jithmi

Jithmi is the only person I have ever met who lived in Brunei and who has also met some really cool people including Queen Latifah, Steve Nash, and Wayne Gretzky. She completed her BComm at UBC and is currently working as a project manager in an all male company – you go girl! She has seen Michael Jackson live in concert, danced in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics, and has bungee jumped... twice, somersaulting in mid air the second time around!

Involvement with YWiB

Jithmi first heard about the organization from two of her friends, the founders of Young Women in Business. Knowing how great they are, she had no doubts about the success of the organization. Relating to the vision and values of YWiB and attending Beyond Pink 2008 drove Jithmi to get involved as the co-chair for Beyond Pink 2009. Looking back at her experience she told me that “YWIB is like an alma mater, they have done too much for me to walk away.”

Things Learned

Jithmi – “one of the biggest lessons I learned from the Beyond Pink conference was saying no.”

Working full time, volunteering and making time for friends and family will fill up your day! YWiB taught Jithmi how to control her ambitions, and it sometimes requires saying “no” in order to lead a balanced life. Another big takeaway  was having to work in groups and interacting with people of different personalities. We all work and communicate differently and volunteering as a co-chair at Beyond Pink exposed Jithmi to various scenarios.  This has helped her in her current role working with professionals in many different fields. She also mentioned that “patience, chocolate and bourbon” can help along the way!

People, People, People

Jithmi told me that “people who have a connection with YWiB have an ambitious personality.” She met many people volunteering as a co-chair and the relationships she created are ones that will probably last a lifetime. In fact, her best friend is actually someone she went to Beyond Pink with, an event and experience that helped drive them together.

What’s Next?

Jithmi is currently enrolled in a ballroom dancing class, which I am pretty sure she loves. She has many interests but would love to pursue culinary school and eventually open her own restaurant – a venue I am looking forward to dining at in the future.

What I learned from Jithmi

Make a bucket list with goals.  It can be as something simple as buying a pair of shoes or doing the Grouse Grind. Get involved with things you like and are passionate about and you will get more out of it. Take the time to seize opportunities, we are so busy in our lives, we don’t even realize an opportunity when it comes to us. Procrastination is okay. Peer pressure goes a long way, Jithmi may have not bungee jumped if the other 20 members of YWiB did not go with her!

My Favourite Question and Answer

What was the hardest decision you ever had to make and how did it turn out?

Jithmi – I was asked this question recently and I don’t think I’ve had to make it yet. I’ve had struggles but don’t we all! There are people who have gone through harder things and don’t have as much and have made a bigger difference.

CONGRATULATIONS YWCA Nominees!

YWiB Congratulates the Nominees of the 2012 YWCA Women of Distinction Awards! On Thursday, May 24th we’ll be celebrating alongside the incredible women who have been nominated for this year’s YWCA Women of Distinction Awards! Yup, YWiB will be in the crowd - supporting, clapping and ‘cheers’-ing with the women who will be recognized for their contributions to the community.

Some of the nominees are familiar faces to the YWiB crowd as they’ve been YWiB supporters in the past! Past Beyond Pink speaker Patricia Graham has been nominated in the Business and the Professionals category, and Beyond Pink panelist, and recent speaker Andrea Scott has been nominated in the Entrepreneurship category.

And of course, many of our supporters have been nominated in the past - including Judy Brooks (YWiB Advisory Board), Michelle Pockey (YWiB Advisory Board) and Tamara Vrooman (speaker).

But we’re most familiar with the YWCA gala from 2010 when our very own Paulina Lipska, YWiB President was nominated in the Young Woman category!

We’ll be at the Westin Bayshore this Thursday sipping bubbly, bidding in the silent auction and mixing and mingling with some incredible women. Come say "hi" Thursday night - can’t wait to see you there.

- marica

More people fear public speaking over dying, really?

Did you know that people are more terrified of public speaking than they are of dying? We learned this last Saturday when YWiB was lucky enough to host get vocalized!, a seminar put on by Pamela Hart, founder of Release Your Voice. Pamela is one of those individuals who exudes charisma, confidence, professionalism and class, and we were thrilled to introduce her to the YWiB community.

Pamela specializes in public speaking and presenting with confidence, and has an unparalleled ability to inspire and empower anyone looking to increase the effectiveness of their communications. Over delicious pastries, a splash of coffee and a lot of laughter, we all learned tips and tricks to improve our confidence and effectiveness when speaking in front of a large group. Pamela also taught us verbal and non-verbal techniques to improve our success in one-on-one conversations in both our personal and professional lives.

One of the biggest takeaways? That public speaking is a skill that even the best have to practice, and one we can all learn. The nervousness? It will subside with time, but when harnessed in the appropriate ways, a little nervousness can make you an even more compelling speaker. Above all, we learned that confidence goes a long way. If you’re reading this blog, it’s likely you are a driven young woman who is passionate about creating positive change in both your community and your professional life. Basically, that means you’re kicking a** and taking names while carving your own path on this journey called life. What’s not to be confident about?

Much love to all of the attendees and of course, Pamela Hart herself. Until next time!

xoxo Liz

Public Speaking: We all doubt ourselves, until we don't

Every once in a while I’m lucky to be in the presence of an interesting, captivating and charismatic speaker that makes me wonder how they got to be as good as they are.  Sure they have practiced, practice DOES make perfect, but how did they acquire the skills to stand up in front of a large crowd with impressively straight posture, discussing an idea so succinctly for 20 minutes without shaking, stuttering or batting an eye? Recently, I decided to change my career path and underwent a certification program that involved a Public Speaking course.  As much as I wanted to take this course and learn to be a great speaker, the idea of actually having to speak in front of a room full of the people unnerved me.  I had never understood people who enrolled in Toastmasters.  After all, who in their right minds enjoys standing in front of a room full of strangers with judging eyes while you're forced to present a topic you likely know nothing about?  Then I realized, how else does one improve your skills?  Presenting to a mirror will only get you so far.

I’ll never forget the first day I went into that public speaking class. At this stage of the program our classmates didn’t know one another very well so I don’t think I’d be alone in saying it was like being in a room full of strangers. I’m sure we all had similar concerns about what was in store for us over the next couple of hours, feelings of self-doubt and worries of dare I say, choking, on the presentation stage.  Then in walked Pamela, our public speaking professor. Now Pamela at first impression can appear intimidating. She is a tall, excellently poised, noticeably professional and attractive woman who smells of confidence. And she hasn’t even begun talking yet. When she does I realize that while she not only smells of confidence, she exemplifies it through every perfectly annunciated syllable that comes out of her mouth.

But then, at some point, I realize I'm not feeling nervous anymore.  I’m actually relaxed and completely engaged in Pamela’s voice. Momentarily I have forgotten that I will at some point in the very near future, be expected to give an impromptu speech in front of all these strangers.  Pamela has that calming energy most of us dream we had. She can make a room full of clammy hand, nervous stutters feel like they not alone in their public speaking fears and can teach you the tools to remove that doubt. Throughout our first session I soaked up more speaking knowledge than I could have ever imagined learning. I left that first session excited to return for the second.

Pamela Hart, founder of Release Your Voice, can teach you to not only communicate confidently in front of a group, but to make people interested in what you’re telling them even.  She'll teach you the skills to pronounciate your words clearer, stand taller, and breathe the same confidence she does.  Our classroom transformed in ways I cannot begin to describe. Those who could not stand on day-one were leading 10-minute presentations by our last session without so much as blinking out of line.  Pamela taught us how to cater our presentations to individual needs and to ensure you have a “little something for everyone” in every presentation you deliver.  Her talent and passion for what she does is incredibly rare and that is why I KNEW I had to find a way for her to partner up with YWiB. I wanted to bottle her skill and share it with everyone I knew; family, friends, even enemies so they could be better people. She’s THAT good.

Pamela Hart is a game changer and I’m so proud she agreed to partner with YWiB and lead our Get Vocalized! confident communication event this Saturday, May 12th at SFU Downtown Campus. Do not miss out as these skills can be used in every aspect of your life both professionally and personally. Tickets are on sale until Thursday, May 10th at noon, purchase yours today.

my {YWiB} story – member highlight: Leah Plumridge

YWiB has expanded and we want you to get to know our newest executive members! Meet one of our Legal Team members!

name| Leah Plumridge social| @LawLeah email| lplumridge@thor.ca

why YWiB |I became a part of YWIB’s legal team in January 2012. I first encountered YWIB at a Professional Women’s Network event where I heard Jen and Paulina speak about their goal of furthering young women in business. Not only was their energy contagious, they also used a number of great quotes from a favourite Ted Talk of mine given by Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.  When I heard that YWiB was looking for assistance with its organizational structure, I knew this was a perfect opportunity for me to work with some amazing talent while getting an opportunity to ‘give back’ to my community. I have been blessed to have countless incredible female mentors in my life and I am looking forward to every opportunity I get to pay it forward.

childhood ambition| alpine ski racer

my home| vancouver, BC (born in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia)

wildest dream| circumnavigating the globe by my own power

proudest moment|  beating all the men in Super G!

biggest challenge| establishing realistic goals

favorite quote| “don’t take your foot off the gas pedal” ~ Sheryl Sandberg

inspiration| my friends – the women in my life are always going for it. they are ‘yes’ people who look at the glass as half-full and always try to think of how something can be done instead of the reasons why it can’t. they support each other and don’t judge.

chatting with...alex mitchell

So...how 'bout them Canucks? I know our team barely got out of the gate this year in the playoffs, and there was hardly any time to really let it sink in, but I'm still kinda mourning that we won't be watching any canucks hockey this spring.  Lucky for us, this week we talked with Alex Mitchell, Director of Community Partnerships at the Vancouver Canucks, to curb our post-season blues. In her role as Director of Community Partnerships, Alex is responsible for developing and executing all community outreach plans and programs for Canucks Sports & Entertainment by bringing the team into out of arena contact with their fans, and through the Canucks for Kids Fund charity initiatives.  A born and raised Vancouverite, Alex loves to cook, be outdoors and spend time with family and friends. Fun fact: her brother works for the Toronto Maple Leafs, so naturally they have maintained a good family rivalry.

name three people you'd have over for a dinner party.  If it was a girls' dinner I’d invite Tina Fey, Patricia Graham and Hilary Clinton.  And of course my mom would have to come too.

how would you describe your leadership style?   I try to encourage my team to feel confident and successful in their work. I want to motivate them by providing a positive and supportive environment, give them a voice and inspire them to come forward with solutions and ideas.

what's one thing that you think all women in leadership roles need or should have to succeed?  Confidence. A women’s instinct is an asset. Trust yourself in your decisions and push forward.

would you say that professional sports is a "boys' club" stilll, or is that perspective changing?   The ‘boys club’ doesn’t play a part in our business. They hire the right people for the right position and trust us to be experts in our fields.

how can a young woman break into this field?  Go for it as you would any industry and don’t be held back by perceptions that it is a boys' club or otherwise. If you’re the right person for the job, you’ll get it.

what's your favourite part of your job? There is nothing better than introducing a child (or adult!) to one of their hockey heroes – the smiles and reactions are equally priceless and rewarding.

when you're not herding canucks players around like cattle, what can you be found doing outside the rink?  Enjoying time with family and friends, entertaining and enjoying our beautiful city. I love Vancouver and all that it offers.

why do you think women's networks like YWiB and the YWiB philosophy are important for young women in the community?  It’s inspiring to have a network of peers and mentors to share ideas, challenges and successes with. Learning from each other is great motivation!