YWiB Vancouver member Lisa Michaud, Success Coach and Speaker, shares her insight into navigating career changes, getting what you want out of life and the importance of surrounding yourself with an inspiring and motivating network. Come celebrate Lisa's achievements with our first Member Spotlight.
Read MoreWhen is the last time you felt so inspired that you wanted to stop right in the middle of something to chase a dream? Beyond: Lead Through Action was a conference put on by YWiB that at numerous times made you want to run out to try a new strategy with your team, apply for the ‘unattainable’ job or pursue your passion. A room full of ambitious, curious and fun women (and some men!) spent November 19th engaging with well-known leaders in the community and learning applicable skills, all while making valuable connections with people from different fields. With an incredible line up with speakers, panelists and workshops, there were a lot of takeaways. Here are some of the ways the attendees learned to uncover leadership skills.
Read MoreBeyond: Lead Through Action is a one-day conference for young professionals to connect, develop and grow. This conference will build your leadership skill set, your knowledge, and your network. With inspiring speakers, new leadership ideologies, informative panel discussions and hands-on workshops, Beyond will provide the skills you need to break into your leadership potential.
Read MoreBeyond the Glass Ceiling panel event is back again, and this year’s theme focuses on Emerging Industries. We sit with top tier panelists from Vancouver who are sharing their entrepreneurial story.
Tea Nicola is passionate about personal finance and wants to help people understand how small changes can make a big difference. Originally a mechanical engineer, she later spent years working as a financial advisor and advisor trainer. Tea is excited about transforming the way Canadians get personal financial advice.
Beyond the Glass Ceiling panel event is back again, and this year’s theme focuses on Emerging Industries. We sit with top tier panelists from Vancouver who are sharing their entrepreneurial story.
my name | Ella Jotie
my company | Barre Fitness
childhood ambition | I always wanted to be a backup dancer for Janet Jackson.
fondest memory | My fondest memory would have to be sitting atop a sand dune in the desert of Dubai, en route to a show in Kabul, and realizing just how vast the universe really is.
proudest moment | When the Barre Fitness team won the award for Top Training Partner at the Workout to Conquer Cancer in 2015. In that moment all of my dreams for building a business were realized and it was a true reflection of our company’s core values!
biggest challenge | Opening Barre Fitness with no experience and even less money!
keeps me up at night | Work. Ha! I’m constantly thinking about how to create a better experience for my clients and staff.
how I give back | Through Barre Fitness’ Raise the Barre program
perfect day | My perfect day is spent with the ones I love the most and always includes teaching a class, because that is my happy place.
first job | Newspaper delivery girl. Age 10
favourite quote | I have two.
“We should consider everyday lost on which we have not danced at least once.” – Nietzsche
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” Maya Angelou
inspiration | My clients are my biggest inspiration. Their energy and commitment to themselves day in and day out motivate me to do the same for myself and build a better Barre for them.
This is a guest post from our sponsor, G&F Financial Group (G&F) G&F Financial Group (G&F) is proud to support the Vancouver branch of Young Women in Business (YWiB). At G&F, we empower and encourage employees to grow, thrive and reach new heights within the credit union and beyond. Our focus on leadership and development has never been stronger and we recognize the value of today’s young leaders. Today we reached out to Pamela Tsatouhas, one of G&F’s Branch Managers and asked her to share her thoughts on the qualities that make a good leader and the advice she has for young women starting down their own career path.
Pamela has been an employee of G&F for two years as the Branch Manager at the busy and vibrant West Broadway location. At the young age of 29, Pamela has achieved a leadership position and has some advice about what it means to be one of the younger members of the management team.
“In my experience, young managers must become good leaders quickly to prove that they are up for the task”, she says. “They have to build relationships, earn trust and allow their leadership skills to rise organically.“
One of the core values of G&F is a strong commitment to give back to local communities. G&F employees volunteer countless hours of their own time to help enrich their neighbourhoods, and Pamela lives these values. Pamela is a board member of the local Business Improvement Association and the Second Treasurer for the Hellenic Community of Vancouver. She also volunteers with the Hellenic Congress of BC to help organize Greek Day on Broadway. Pamela’s connections in the community help her network and build relationships that translate into strong business partnerships.
When asked about the top traits she believes are necessary in a successful leader, three came to mind.
She adds, “By proving your commitment to the role, you will not only earn the respect of your team, but will also instill that same hardworking energy among your staff. It’s important to show your commitment not only to the work at hand, but also to your promises. Once you have gained the respect of your team, they are more likely to deliver quality work.”
Lastly, Pamela shared some advice she has for young women who are new to their careers or just starting to take on leadership roles. Thinking back to when she first started out in her career, two pieces of wisdom came to mind.
To learn more about Pamela and her role at G&F, you can connect with her by email at ptsatouhas@gffg.com. To learn more about G&F, visit us online at www.gffg.com
At some point in our careers we’ve all been on the hunt for a job and a new professional adventure. We all have different approaches in going about this search, but are there some methods that work better than others? Earlier this month at Microsoft’s Vancouver office, YWiB was lucky to have Carmen Tsang from Lighthouse Labs guide us through this often challenging task. Don’t worry, there’s hope for all of us if you follow her words of wisdom!
Throughout the job hunt process, you want to remain diligent and proactive. It’s easy to be discouraged while unemployed, so it’s good to set daily goals for yourself (e.g. send out five resumes each day). Even if you don’t completely qualify for a position, you can still apply. Carmen says this is okay as long as you meet 70% of the requirements. If you’re planning to apply for many positions, make organization your best friend by creating a spreadsheet with all the key application details (e.g. company, position title, date sent, etc.) to keep track in the event of a call back. While waiting for an interview, research the job titles you are interested in and reach out to industry professionals in similar positions that may have some insight to share. Finally, leverage your network to its full extent. You never know who might know someone looking to hire, or who’s connection could get you in the door.
So you’ve landed the interview, now what? Carmen says NEVER “wing it”. Before your interview, go in knowing three key things; yourself, the company and the job description. This seems easy enough but focusing on each area will help you identify whether or not the company and the position align with what’s important to you and your professional progression. As long as all three areas align, you’ll remain consistent throughout the interview and will demonstrate how self aware you are.
When it comes to the questions you’re being asked, make sure to be honest, especially with the dreaded “weaknesses” question. Don’t pick a strength and disguise it (*sigh*, we’ve all done it) because interviewers see past this and are less likely to consider you as a suitable candidate. Share something real, and what you’ve done to address the issue in the past 6 months. When it’s your turn, make sure not to ask too many questions. This can be off-putting to interviewers and may give them the wrong impression of your capabilities.
Finally, if you have references, make sure you know what they plan to say. Again, this can help you remain consistent with what may be said regarding your areas for improvement.
Once your interview is over, don’t be shy to ask when you can expect a response back. Feel free to let them know that you’re actively looking or that you have other interviews (if it’s true) but that you want to give them full consideration. Of course, always send a “thank you” email once you’re fully done.
A big thanks to Carmen for sharing all of these wonderful tips, and to Microsoft for the amazing venue space. Are there any tips you would add?
Young Women in Business is a community for emerging female leaders and young professionals who want to create their own success.
We believe every woman and young professional stepping into the workforce or growing in their career should be well equipped with the proper set of tools and knowledge to reach their fullest personal and professional potential.
We provide young women and professionals with events, programs and an engaged network of ambitious women, to help them become successful in their careers, take on new challenges and develop skills.
