Last night, I had the privilege of being in a room full of passionate business women at the 30th annual YWCA Women of Distinction Awards. Not only was I pleased to attend, I was thrilled to be nominated in the Entrepreneurship category. The description for the award category was as follows:
Award Category – Entrepreneurship: She has taken an innovative approach to solving a problem, filling a need or breaking into a new market. Her drive, ingenuity and solid vision for her business separates her from her competitors. She has made sacrifices and taken great risks to successfully launch, revive or manage a business or product.
When I really thought about this description, it was exciting for me to see my storytelling practice, which was once a far off dream that started with my passion for mythology and folklore, now being recognized as a successful business. We solopreneurs often forget to take the time we need to celebrate our wins and bask in the light of success. Last night was the perfect occasion to break out my heels (I’ve been wearing rubber boots these days, walking our new puppy in the rain!) and rub shoulders with some of Vancouver’s most passionate, committed and successful women. Madeleine Shaw, of Lunapads, coined the hashtag #VancouverPowerBabes when she realized just how many amazing women (including herself I might add!) graced the event last night. I couldn’t agree more!
For me, the YWCA is more than a brand association; it is a place where stories are created and recreated as women aim to transform their lives. A dear friend of mine that I saw last night, Marnie Marley, dedicated her career to the YWCA, starting and nurturing programs like Crabtree Corner. She retired a few months ago after working with the YWCA for 23 years and it was amazing for me to witness the impact her career has had on countless lives.
At the end of the day, being a Woman of Distinction for me means that we consider our community, both locally and globally, in our business strategy and we aim to make a positive impact on the world around us. It was an honour to be amongst women who feel the same way about business as I do.
As Christy Clark, Premier of BC, said in her speech last night, we are the ones setting the examples for young girls today, and we need to ensure that there is no glass ceiling in their future. And so, my ask of you is, if there is a woman in your life who has made an impact, please take the time to tell her so. It is amazing to hear how our own stories have positively affected others, and remind us all to persevere because, as the award category stated, we have all made sacrifices and faced risks when we decided to challenge the way things were once done.
