Young Women in Business

Girls Night Out

marica — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:33:03 +0000

Join YWiB, YWiB SFU and SIFE SFU for a movie night on March 18 at Empire Theatre. We’ll be watching Remember Me starring Robert Pattinson. We’ll also be hosting four speakers who will talk about “Being Your Own Boss” and “Finding Hidden Market Opportunities to Build and Expand Your Business”. Event starts at 6pm and is free for YWiB, YWiB SFU, and SIFE SFU members who bring a friend! RSVP here or on Facebook.

Interview with Heather White

marica — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:26:10 +0000

On Feburary 8th, Campus Ceo was graced with the fiery presence of Heather White. Her honest and engaging demeanor made for an inspiring evening full of questions, answers and connections. She shared her experience as a student and growing into her role of entrepreneur, the backbone of 2020 Communications and a member of the Ghost Ceo posse. So many women were captivated by the conversation; they stayed almost an hour after discussing business ideas, obstacles and wine. For those of you who missed it, here is an interview with Heather White that will leave you wanting more (trust me…).
YWIB: What does the future look like for women entrepreneurs?

HW: Great question! Though I’m still working on honing my psychic powers, my general feeling is that women entrepreneurs will be the drivers of the new paradigm of business. Naturally gifted with intuition, their ability to form strong relationships and their solution focused mind-set, women bring a soft yet effective skill-set to the table. I think entrepreneurs, in general, will thrive in the coming years as we look to do business with people/companies who are servicing more specific needs and wants, therefore more niche, versus the mass consumerism that we’ve become accustomed to. I think the future is rich with opportunity and what we make of that is yet to be seen.

YWIB: What is the best way for women to support each other?

HW: Stop competing and start collaborating. Throw age, race, looks, experience etc. out the window – it doesn’t matter. The most important way to support each other is show up as your whole self, look to add value in an enthusiastic and passionate way and synergize with the other women (and men) in your life. Gone are the days of having to ‘know it all’ (not that I’m sure that ever existed) and now we must be clear on what we have to offer and find others who offer complimentary knowledge, skill and service. This is how we will grow to the next level. No more one-upping each other, it’s about joining forces.

YWIB: Where do you look for inspiration? Do you have a mantra that keeps you going when times get rough?

HW: I’ve made a point of building a strong team around me to help nurture my personal and professional journeys. I have a two-hour standing appointment with my Life Coach once a week that keeps me grounded and committed to the things that are most important to me. I have the most supportive Business Partner that I call on for professional advise and support in my business development. Furthermore, I participate in a Mastermind group once a week (and have for the past four years) allowing me an outlet to ask for guidance and support when I need it. I’m a family girl, so much of my inspiration comes from my parents (I was lucky enough to have three), my 3 siblings, and my other half – all of whom are huge champions and supporters of me and I of them. My office is decorated with vision boards and quotes to keep me going day to day and in terms of a mantra, my go to is: “Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t so you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t” – Author unknown .

YWIB: People often talk about what they wish they knew when they were in their twenties. What are a few work/life balance tips you have for young women entrepreneurs?

HW: Nothing is as big a deal as you think it is. Our mind is an amazing instrument, but, left mis-understood, or to it’s own devises and it can get out of control and create Mt. Everest out of a mole hill. Having fun is one of the easiest ways to stay in the flow of life and when you’re in the flow of life, a lot can happen easily and effortlessly. I was very much old school mind-set when I first entered in to business believing I had to “work hard” and put in super long hours in order to be successful. Today I know what a myth that was. I have had huge successes come out of just showing up, being curious, having fun and enjoying life. I think when you take life too seriously you are in for an uphill climb. When you let go and let it flow, it rewards you in ways you didn’t know or believe were possible.

YWIB: What was your favorite part about speaking at Campus Ceo?

HW: The energy in the room. I travel all over North America speaking to groups and the vibe in the room that night was phenomenal. It told me that I was in the right place.

working on our fitness – postponed

marica — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 06:45:56 +0000

YWiB is excited to partner with COS to offer an hour Bootcamp class on February 22 from 7:45pm to 9pm. Entrance is a $10 minimum donation; with all proceeds going directly to charity. Specific charities will be announced soon. Visit www.YWiB-Bootcamp.Eventbrite.com to register. Location is 11 West 10th Ave in the back of the building behind Sport Check.

February is Health and Wellness Month

lizzyk — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 06:16:58 +0000

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.

January is Financial Planning Month

lizzyk — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 05:28:19 +0000

For the last few years, ever since we turned on the news to find out we were heading into the “second great depression”, money seems to be everywhere. People are losing it, governments are giving it away, schools want more of it. It’s a discouraging scene as I begin my way to beef up my own bank accounts, and I know I’m not alone. I get asked often what its like being a young woman just starting to make it on her own, right when the rest of the world seems to be falling apart. I always reply with a quote from an unlikely source, Bob Dylan “when you got nothing, you got nothing to lose.” My main fiscal responsibilities (feeding myself, splitting a rent bill with my generous boyfriend, and supplying wine for the weekends) pale in comparison to those with women with student debt, four hungry mouths and a monster of a mortgage to feed. Because of this, I am a lucky one.

We at YWiB are lucky, all of us. We live in a time where, yes there is financial stress, but it’s fashionable to be a penny-pinching Recessionista. It’s cool to be frugal and hip to be cheap. With hero’s like Smart Cookies blazing the way and support from our fellow YWiB members, we can find a fulfilling job and watch our saving account steadily grow. Together we can start money groups and discuss personal finance tips catered just to young women. We can halt our gym memberships, go for jogs around the seawall and bring Catey Hill’s Shoo Jimmy Choo, The Modern Girls Guide to Spending Less and Saving More to the beach. And we are going to save our hard earned cash because we are smart enough too.

We know that in this uncertain world we have to have a safety net, money to fund living expenses for up to nine months. We know we’ll live longer, change careers more often and that those daily $5 lattes really do add up. And we also know debt, although paralyzing isn’t permanent, and that it’s okay to ask for help ( Smart Cookies and Women’s Institute for Financial Education are great places to start ).

For you YWiB members that have great money saving tips, are open for more or are just getting started planning your financial life come chat with us on ….. …

YWIB + Chris Flett: An Entrepreneurial Match Made in Heaven

lizzyk — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 04:35:22 +0000

Chris Flett in a room full of bright and beautiful young women.

No, this isn’t the opening of a joke or a scene in a polygamous comedy. It’s Campus CEO – the life altering opportunity presented by Chris Flett and YWIB. Helped run by the lovely Tara Clark, Campus CEO is a business bootcamp, offering advice, guidance and inspiration to YWIB members with an entrepreneurial dream. Over thirty women take time out of their busy lives to attend workshops once or twice a month.

Led by Chris, they cover the essentials of business development, or “how to make money”. By using stories of personal experience and the dissection of successful international businesses (including Starbucks and The Fairmont Hotels), Chris effortlessly debunks the myths that young women “can’t do businesses” and provides the framework to understand entrepreneurship. Televisions Dragons Den is used as a regular example to spur on conversations on negotiation and partnerships. It’s a steep learning curve with the banner event happening in May. Each participant gets the chance to pitch their business idea to a “Dragons Den” style Panel made up of established entrepreneurs with the hope of receiving financial backing.

To make it even more exciting, the ladies of Campus CEO are thrown into the trenches with prize-winning challenges. How would you like to have a spectacular lunch picking the brain of Chris Flett? All you’ve gotta do is get Obama, Steven Harper or Kevin O’Leary on the phone…

To find out more about Campus CEO and trace the progress of the incredible women involved check out the Campus CEO Facebook page, Chris’ Blog (chrisflett.com) and visit YWIB for upcoming event announcements.

CampusCEO Launch

jensung — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 04:15:35 +0000

About The Program

YWiB is excited to announce the launch of CampusCEO, an innovative learning and development opportunity for young female entrepreneurs. This program will teach you how to build upon your entrepreneurial skills to create a business plan that could be executed and funded by GhostCEO founder, Chris Flett!

What To Expect

Receive coaching from GhostCEO founder Chris Flett
Gain real-world business knowledge
Develop business strategies
Increase the quality of your business plan
Improve networking and presentation skills

Who We Target

Dynamic female entrepreneurs 25 and under
Young professionals or approaching university graduates
Idea generators, risk takers or established business plan writers
Candidates with a commitment and drive to succeed!

Come join us at our launch event to learn more:

Date | Monday, January 18th
Time | 6pm to 8pm
Venue | Network Hub
Suite 300 – 422 Richards Street

What’s in Your Basket?

admin — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:16:24 +0000

Pack about 200 of the most energetic, inspiring and accomplished young women into Vancouver’s Hyatt Regency for the weekend and what do you get? Beyond Pink 2009, a conference to celebrate and unite aspiring and accomplished women in business, letting each one Stand Up and Stand Out.

During the opening of the 2^nd Annual Beyond Pink Conference, co-chair Maya Kolaczynski used a gorgeous metaphor for the 200 delegates to connect with themselves and all that Beyond Pink had to offer. The Navajo tribe of Native Americans use baskets to commemorate and represent momentous occasions in their lives. Maya encouraged us to see our own life as a beautifully woven basket, always adding to it. She extended this metaphor to represent the experience of Beyond Pink, placing real baskets around the conference and inviting us to place things in them that represented the weekend.

So what did the Beyond Pink add to our collective YWiB basket? Here is a list of tokens and experiences.

A Dirty Napkin with my New Mentor’s Phone Number – Connecting with Vancouver’s brightest, successful and encouraging minds over lunch was a dream come true! Many accomplished men and women offered support and guidance over pad thai and sushi.

A Newly Equipped Toolkit – Over the weekend Fiona Walsh gave us tips to break the “glass ceiling” with confidence, Madeline Chenette emphasized that we were our own best asset and Carrie Gallant coached us in negotiating for what we deserve. All of this valuable advice added up to one strong and durable toolkit, batteries included.

Sparkly Stilettos – styleCanvas, a fantastic fashion magazine that was born from a connection at last year’s Beyond Pink sponsored a private fashion show at Venue Nightclub. It was a glitz and glamour night on the town and a chance for women of all ages to bond over their love for fashion.

A Clear Game Plan – Blo Dry Bar founders Devon and Judy Brooks bared all in their workshop “Business is Messy”. Under those beautiful tresses those ladies have incredible minds and hearts to match. They reminded us that bad stuff happens and when it does, stick to your game plan.

Photograph of A New Hero – Patricia Graham, Editor-in-Chief of the Vancouver Sun, invited us to search for our own hero. While pointing to a photograph of Amelia Earhart she said, “life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Patricia, with her fearless take on female leadership, was added to the list of our female heroes.

A New Story – Gayle Hallgreen-Rezac and Judy Thomson challenged us to share our knowledge and make deeper connections through the simple act of storytelling.

Action Figures – The unforgettable all male panel gave more than 300 a few answers about female roles in the workplace. With remarks like “Women make less because they’ll work for less, when you stop accepting less is when you’ll get more” from the remarkable Chris Flett we were inspired to get what we deserve. The panel was invigorating, insightful and one of the highlights of the weekend and head to Partly Sunny to read more.

Crave Vancouver book – This orange and pink guide to all female-run Vancouver businesses is as much a motivational book as it is a YWiB bible. Creator Melody Biringer and YWiB Member Arpen Thandi encouraged us to always do what we love and let the opportunities follow.

A Stack of Business Cards – The Connect! Women in Business Tradeshow filled a bedazzled ballroom with a diverse collection of Vancouver entrepreneurs and business professionals. We loved talking with likeminded women in the business, and eating Qoola yogurt and fruit by the cupful. One of our favorite bloggers, Miss 604 , has great coverage.

A Balanced Checkbook- the very charming Smart Cookies Andrea Baxter and Katie Dunsworth shared their own stories of evolving from ladies drowning in debt to being on top of their game. They armed us with tips and tricks of managing our finances and staying balanced while doing it.

A Calendar Full of Coffee Dates – Beyond Pink is one of the best ways to meet likeminded and inspirational women from all over Vancouver. The connections made at BP ‘09 will be built over upcoming YWiB events throughout the year. You’ll see new friends made at Beyond Pink all over the city going for coffee, sipping drinks after work and celebrating at a P!nk Christmas.

Mirror – During the opening keynote, Liz Gaige urged us to look deep within ourselves to connect with the “amazing you.” When we explore what we personally need and what we can offer it starts us on the path of success.

All Star Team – From the months of planning to the execution, the Beyond Pink team was an inspiration themselves. Watching their ingenuity, flexibility and cooperation was a reminder that women work best when they work together. Congrats to Jithmi and Maya and all the devoted volunteers.

What did you add to your basket?? Drop me a line at lizzy@ywib.ca and I’d be happy to include it. Come find me at P!nk Christmas the evening of November, 30^th at the Ayden Gallery and share how Beyond Pink continues to motive and inspire you.

Post-Beyond Pink Event

jensung — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:32:00 +0000

Beyond Pink was an incredible weekend where energetic young women came together in a unique, high-impact and eco-friendly conference. The delegates had the opportunity to participate in intimate workshops, partake in interactive roundtable discussions, engage with industry professionals, build lasting personal connections, and celebrate inspirational women in business.

To celebrate the culmination of the weekend and encourage delegates to learn more about the YWiB network and future YWiB events, Beyond P!nk delegates, YWiB members and friends of YWiB are invited to attend a post-conference event. This is another opportunity for the women of Beyond P!nk to continue to connect with each other – it is sure to be an engaging evening!YWiB

when | november 30th from six pm to eight pm
where | ayden gallery, second-floor of tinseltown (eighty-eight west pender street)
rsvp | http://pinkchristmas09.eventbrite.com
price | complimentary

all photos credited to Jeremy Lim

Y-Pink?

jensung — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:49:55 +0000

learn more about YWiB during an evening of sweet treats and fun!

come out with a friend and meet other fabulous ladies, find out about our upcoming events & programs, get excited about beyond p!nk and have the chance to win a free membership to YWiB! hosted at the stylish noir lash lounge in yaletown, with frozen yogurt treats provided by qoola, it’s sure to be a fun night!

look forward to seeing you all there!