Fearless Women Podcast By Janice McDonald

Dr. Heather Lank. Parliamentary Librarian of Canada

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 03:00:00 +0000

I’m excited to introduce you to another remarkable person with a fascinating career who is making the world a better place: Dr. Heather Lank.

Let me tell you a little about out her. In 2018, she was appointed Parliamentary Librarian of Canada. She joined the federal public service in 1990 and assumed progressively more senior leadership roles working for the Parliament of Canada in the decades before her appointment.

The vision of the organization is to be Parliament’s preferred and trusted source of information and knowledge. She has so much to c share form her career and I’m excited to share her wisdom and perspective with all of you.

Welcome to the show Dr. Heather Lank!

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Parliamentary Librarian - Heather Lank

Dr. Karen MacNeill – Mental Performance Consultant, Psychologist and Speaker

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 02:00:00 +0000

So, are the Olympic Games on your mind? I absolutely love watching them!

I went with my family to the Vancouver Olympics in 2010 and it was so memorable. In a few weeks, Paris will be transformed! The Games will open with a flotilla of athletes floating down the river - that same river that will be a venue for open-water swimming events. It’s going to be incredible and my next guest has the Olympic Games very much on her mind.

It's a pleasure to welcome Dr. Karen MacNeill to the show today. She is a part of the incredible team behind Team Canada at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this summer. A Mental Performance Consultant, Psychologist, and speaker, she helps athletes, leaders and organizations unleash their highest potential so they shine when it matters most. She has worked with athletes competing at the last 5 Olympic games and competed herself at the international level for over a decade. Her career includes so many accolades and tons of recognition, so you know we have so much to talk about.

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

MacNeill Performance

Leslie Weir - Librarian and Archivist of Canada

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 03:00:00 +0000

Today’s guest is another trailblazer with a mile-long impressive bio. I am delighted to welcome Leslie Weir to the show. She is the Librarian and Archivist of Canada - the first woman to be appointed to the position since the National Library of Canada and the National Archives of Canada merged to form Library and Archives Canada (LAC) in 2004.

Her career to date reflects numerous accomplishments in innovation, including the new Preservation Storage Facility - a state-of-the-art building that is the first net-zero carbon archival preservation facility in the Americas and the largest automated archival facility in the world. We want to hear about that huge undertaking and so much more.

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Check out the Book! - Canadians Who Innovate: The Trailblazers and Ideas That Are Changing the World

Central branch at Ādisōke

Libraries and Archives Canada

The Honourable Senator Marie-Paule Charette-Poulin

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 7 Jun 2024 03:00:00 +0000

These are challenging times so I’m happy to continue to spotlight inspiring people making the world a better place.

My fearless friends, I am excited to introduce someone whose career has a long impressive bio that she continues to add to and is defined by so many firsts. The Honourable Senator Marie-Paule Charette-Poulin. The book about her life called She Dared to Succeed by Fred Langan, is available everywhere including Amazon. Grab your copy today!

Check out the book! - She Dared to Succeed: A Biography of the Honourable Marie-P. Charette-Poulin

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Julie Savard-Shaw - Prosperity Project

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 17 May 2024 03:00:00 +0000

So excited to highlight another interesting person who’s making the world a better place for all of you- my fearless friends! My guest is Julie Savard-Shaw. Well, what an impressive bio! She’s making a difference in a big way. Let me tell you about her:

Julie Savard-Shaw brings a tremendous background in advancing gender equality and women's rights from an intersectional lens.

As an advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honorable Justin Trudeau, she spearheaded Canada's first Feminist International Assistance Policy and helped lead the Canada-US Council for the Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders. During her tenure at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Honorable Chrystia Freeland, Julie oversaw the Task Force on Women in the Economy.

Outside of government, Julie developed from the ground up multiple national engagement campaigns. Notably, she led the Women Deliver Mobilization Canada in 2019 which galvanized $1.4 billion in government funding for gender equality. Julie is actively involved in the community both domestically and internationally. She was recently on the Advisory Committee for CBC Kids and the Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre. She is also co-founder of a music school in rural Peru that provides music education to keep youth off the streets. Julie has a Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management and a Master of International Affairs.

Prosperity Project

Brenda Allen - Chief People Officer at De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 02:00:00 +0000

My fearless friends I'm excited to introduce you to another remarkable person who is breaking barriers and soaring higher.

Today’s guest is the unstoppable Brenda Allen. She is the Chief People Officer at De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited. Rugged. Reliable. Canadian. That’s De Havilland. The company has a passionate team of innovators based at their facilities in Canada and a global network of support via their seasoned experts, De Havilland proudly carries on its tradition as a leader in aviation since 1928. Brenda Allen has had a fascinating career in many different industries before her current role so she has a unique perspective and tons of practical wisdom.

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Spencer Litzinger and Melony Manikavasagar Co-hosts of The Zone TV Show

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 5 May 2023 14:00:00 +0000

For many of us, watching TV is an ideal escape from the everyday…especially kids;

The Zone is a beloved after-school TV program on the Canadian television channel YTV. It currently airs between 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. I’m joined by Spencer Litzinger and Melony Manikavasagar two of the hosts of this fun tv show.

Spencer is always trying to put a smile on your face with her larger-than-life funny personality! She’s from Toronto and completed her post-secondary education at Humber College. She’s been hosting The Zone for nearly five years! She’s also a proud dog mom to her puppy, Scruffy. A perfect day for Spencer is any day spent with her friends, laughing and dancing. Spencer can often be found posting her daily adventures on her Instagram stories and TikToks, that's one of her favourite hobbies!

From Brampton, Ont. Melony has over three years of experience in live broadcasting and on-air hosting. She’s currently working towards her Bachelor of Arts in Media Production at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) specializing in radio broadcasting and film/television. While completing her studies, Melony has had the opportunity to engage her creative spirit by working as an on-air radio host and editor for CJRU 1280 AM. The multitalented all-star has also worked as a background actor, interviewer, editor and director. In her free time, Melony enjoys playing the piano, drawing, writing poems and treating herself to pizza. As a South Asian female, Melony is excited for the opportunity to continue representing people of colour on YTV and inspiring positive connections through TV and pop-culture content.

Listen until 11:30 to hear Spencer talk about facing her fears.

“ I have to face my fears. I have to stay on top of taking care of myself, going to therapy, checking in with how I'm feeling, and it's really like realizing it's okay. Like it's okay to have a bad day. It was just those bad days back then were so intense and so long that there's this big fear around feeling sad again. So it's just like relearning to, face the fear. It's okay to feel sad some days. It's not the end of the world. Check in with yourself, take care of yourself, and also like be grateful that you can feel emotions.”

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Bestselling Children’s Author - Ashley Spires

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 02:00:00 +0000

I'm excited to introduce you to someone making the world a better place…this time through her creativity with pen and paper. Today, I’m joined by award-winning Canadian author Ashley Spires, who has just recently released a children's book called The Most Magnificent Idea. It's the sequel to The Most Magnificent Thing. It's also being adapted into a television series called Millie Magnificent.

Listen until 01:58 to hear Ashley talk about the inspiration for her first book!

“ I tried to change the beginning, the middle of the end, the plot, all the bits and nothing was working, and I did the most dignified thing I could think of, which was laid down on the floor and cried and wanted to quit because I realized that's a very important part of the creative process. I also realized it's something that we all feel, we all feel like this, especially children.

So once I came out of that very undignified moment of falling apart and quitting, Figuring my career plateaued. I realized that that was the story. That was the story I needed to tell”

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Dr. Jasmine Mah Medical Doctor, Researcher and Co-Founder of Let Science Connect

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 02:00:00 +0000

Dr. Jasmine Mah is a physician and researcher who is passionate about healthcare for older adults. She holds an MD from the University of Ottawa, an MSc from the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Dalhousie University.

Jasmine’s research on social vulnerability, frailty and aging has been nationally recognized as a recipient of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Scholarship, Killam Scholarship, and a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Award. Among her honours, she is the elected co-chair of the Canadian Resident Geriatrics Interest Group and winner of Dalhousie University’s Three Minute Thesis Competition. She is also the co-founder of Let Science Connect, a social enterprise bridging academia to society through effective science communication.

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Prativa Baral Epidemiologist & Co-Founder of Let Science Connect

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 3 Mar 2023 03:00:00 +0000

Prativa is the co-founder of Let Science Connect, an initiative aimed to restore trust in the scientific process by bridging science communication gaps between academia and the rest of the world. She is also an epidemiologist, operating at the intersection of global health and policy, and a Ph.D. candidate at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, investigating methods in health systems strengthening, particularly in the context of crises.

She has served as a global health consultant and expert advisory committee member for various international agencies including the UN, the WHO, the GPMB, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the World Bank, with a special focus on institutional design for global health governance, monitoring efforts to better understand drivers of risk of health emergencies, as well as health systems resilience & service delivery during periods of shocks. Previously, she advised the Government of Canada in designing and drafting the country's first comprehensive global health research strategic plan.

Her commitment to working with groups facing vulnerable conditions emerged through her work with the refugee resettlement program in Québec, where she acted as a point of contact between a wide range of Canadian ministries, local community partners, and refugee families across Québec.

In 2018, she was selected to be a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum, and in 2021, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Prativa is a graduate of McGill University’s Faculty of Science and has received a Master’s in Public Health in Infectious Disease Epidemiology from Columbia University as a Merit Scholar Recipient. She is also a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholar (2021) as well as a recipient of the Canadian Institutes for Health Research’s Doctoral Foreign Study Award among other distinctions. Most recently, she served as the Canadian head delegate for the G7 Youth summit in Berlin, Germany (2022), and the sole Canadian representative as part of the Global Shapers delegation of young community leaders to the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos (2023).

Fluent in French, English and Nepali, Prativa is a former nationally-ranked chess player. She also regularly appears on CBC and CTV News and other media outlets providing Canadians with practical suggestions and advice regarding COVID-19.

Listen until 06:59 to hear Dr. Baral talk about her experience at Davos and being proud of who you are.

”Leadership is something that's been kind of advertised by corporate America, right? And you gotta wear that navy blue suit and speak a certain way and not show compassion or empathy or whatnot. And I think, I hope that our global definition of leadership is changing. And so if I go back next time to Davos, I think I would wear a lot more colours than I did.

So I did wear, you know, a red dress at a certain point and a red blazer at a certain point. But Davos, let me see that you want to stand out. I can't hide the fact that I'm a woman. I can't hide the fact that I'm brown. And so instead of trying to fit the mould and wearing a navy blue suit, which, you know, there's nothing wrong with wearing one, but I would wear something brighter and bolder.

Why would you want to hide your identity or the pieces of you that make you, you just wear the bright colours if that's what you want to wear, and just be because there's no one else like you. Right?”

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Maryam Monsef - Founder & CEO of ONWARD

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 03:00:00 +0000

A big shout out to our listeners from all around the globe including the USA, UK, Canada, Zimbabwe, Mongolia, Japan, Australia and so many more countries…hello!

Love love love having you join us. I’m thinking about you and hope you’re doing alright out there.

My fearless friends, with so much uncertainty in the world, it’s helpful to hear true, inspiring stories from people who have overcome so much.

Am excited to welcome my guest today. Maryam Monsef has a fascinating story and so much wisdom to share.

Let me tell you a little about her from her long and impressive bio.

Maryam Monsef is a globally recognized feminist, leader, and changemaker. And the Founder and CEO of ONWARD - a company supporting leadership development for emerging and existing leaders - with a special focus on women.

An Afghan-Canadian activist who comes from a long line of strong and resilient women and who, against all odds, escaped war and survived poverty and displacement.

She rose from refugee to community organizer, to Cabinet Minister where she drove social and economic justice files for the Government of Canada at home and abroad.

Listen until 29:02 to hear Maryam talk about being shaped by events in her childhood.

“Throughout my childhood, you know, I have this image of in the evenings everybody huddled around the radio. Waiting for news that the war was over, that it was safe to go home, or it was safe to go outside, and that people who were missing family members who had disappeared were waiting to hear their names on the radio.

So being 10 years old, me feisty, you know, opinionated, encouraged to do big things and to lead was also shaped by and trying to process. This big political stuff that was having real impacts in our lives. So it's a testament to the love and the nurturing that we received from my family and my extended family that we turned out okay.

Because looking back I was like, oh, that must have been a really hard time to be 10.”

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Dr. Vardit Ravitsky - Professor of Bioethics at the University of Montreal and at Harvard Medical School

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 9 Dec 2022 03:00:00 +0000

Dr. Vardit Ravitsky is a Professor of Bioethics at the University of Montreal and at Harvard Medical School. She is Immediate Past-President and currently Vice-President of the International Association of Bioethics. She is the Director of Ethics and Health at the Center for Research on Ethics and holds a Research-Creation Chair on the Re-appropriation of Maternity. She is a 2020 Fellow of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and chaired the Foundation’s COVID-19 Impact Committee. She is also a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and of the Hastings Center.

Listen until 27:27 to hear Vardit talk about growing up and her early curiosity.

“I grew up in Jerusalem in a very homogeneous orthodox Jewish community. I didn't speak English or French. I could only speak Hebrew. The first time I left the country I was 13, so I had very little exposure to otherness, and I think already at that early age, I was tremendously curious about diversity. How do people live in other countries, other culture, what is it like to speak another language?

What are other people's norms and values and how are they different? I was drawn to diversity before I even knew what it was, or before I could put any content into it.”

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Ursula Eysin - CEO and Founder of Red Swan Vienna

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 7 Oct 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Well, My fearless listeners, these remain challenging times and our resilience continues to be tested … and tested. Sometimes, It can feel like we’re swimming in an ocean of uncertainty. The future is uncertain but what if I told you you can turn that uncertainty into a competitive advantage?

My next guest, Ursula Eysin has answers on how to do this. She’s a creative strategist who helps, entrepreneurs, start-ups, and governments do precisely that. To turn uncertainty into an advantage using the scenario thinking method. She’s the CEO and founder of Red Swan Vienna and will help us imagine and create our future. I love the sound of that.

Listen till 11:44 to hear Ursula talk about why people don’t like uncertainty and where that feeling comes from.

“No one likes uncertainty. People hate uncertainty. But actually, we have this basic human uncertainty, which already starts with do other people like me. And that sounds very trivial, but actually, our psychology did not really change in the last thousands of years. So when we were not liked by the group, by the others, in a tribe or in the caves, there was actually a question of life and death.

So we still do have this reaction. So this is our basic uncertainty and it's actually quite frightening. So I would not try to tell people just, uh, give up on certainty because I know we need, in some places, we need some kind of certainty. We need to feel safe.”

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Renée McGowan - President, AMEA Region Mercer

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 8 Jul 2022 02:00:00 +0000

We need inspiration now more than ever… and I’m excited to introduce you to my next guest. Global citizen and inspiring leader, she has a fascinating story to tell of her life so far.

Welcome to the show, Renée McGowan!

Let me tell you a little more from Renée’s very impressive bio.

Based in Dubai, Renée is Mercer’s President, Asia Middle East & Africa (AMEA), leading Mercer’s business across 18 markets in this fast-growing, dynamic region. She is also Chairperson of Mercer in Japan, Executive Director on Mercer boards in China and Hong Kong, and Marsh McLennan’s Country Corporate Officer for Hong Kong.

She has helmed businesses in Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, New York, Singapore and Sydney. She is also a regular speaker at major international forums and a contributor to international media, including WEF, The New York Times, The South China Morning Post and CNBC. And won tons of awards including the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal by the Australian Government for delivering humanitarian services overseas.

Listen till 9:02 to hear Renée talk about one of the hardest but most impactful times in her life when she was an exchange student.

“You know you’re a teenager you think you’re invisible. But I think it still takes an element of being fearless to make that decision as a teenager to throw yourself into a local town. In central Java, not knowing a word of Indonesian, living with a local family and attending a local school for twelve months. And noting that it was the early nineties, so it was pre-internet. Snail mail took weeks or months, phone calls didn’t work just because of the nature of infrastructure there. So it was probably the hardest period of my life but looking back on it now, probably the most impactful thing I did in my life as well.”

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Sponsors:

Cynthia Williams – President, Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 02:00:00 +0000

Cynthia Williams is President of Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming at Hasbro. In this role, Cynthia leads the strategy for two of the biggest names in gaming, MAGIC: THE GATHERING and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, while driving continued global growth for the division and leading new fan and story-led tabletop and digital experiences. She is focused on building and expanding on the outstanding foundation laid by Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks, under whose leadership Wizards of the Coast doubled its revenue from 2018 to 2021.

Cynthia has a deep understanding of technology and e-commerce, along with cloud and console-based gaming, with expertise in scaling businesses to drive profitable growth. She previously served as General Manager and Vice President, Gaming Ecosystem Commercial Team at Microsoft, notably driving the expansion of Xbox Gaming and the acceleration of game-creator growth. Prior to joining Microsoft, Cynthia spent more than a decade at Amazon, where she led the global growth of their e-commerce direct-to-consumer business, Fulfillment by Amazon.

She serves as an advisor to Mana Up Hawaii, a product incubator focused on empowering Hawaiian entrepreneurs to scale globally. Cynthia graduated from Western Carolina University with a B.S. in Business Administration, Summa Cum Laude and received her MBA with Distinction from Wake Forest University.

Listen till 14:39 to hear Cynthia talk about the importance of play and why women should give gaming a try!

“I would encourage women to give gaming a try if they haven’t in the past. Perhaps you thought, when I was growing up my first experience with DUNGEONS & DRAGONS was with a group of guys I knew and they were playing and I asked if I could play and they were like no this isn’t for girls. Well now more than fifty percent of the people who play DUNGEONS & DRAGONS are women and so I would encourage women who maybe thought they weren’t invited to the party to give it a try because it is a terrific way to connect with people, to relieve some stress and to have fun. Play is a human need, it’s not just for children and so I would encourage the women listening to your podcast to spend more time in their life playing.”

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Sponsors:

Adrienne Rivera - Spiritual Business Coach

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 8 Apr 2022 02:00:00 +0000

Adrienne Rivera is a Spiritual Business Coach who specializes in teaching healers and coaches how to grow their businesses online. She started her coaching journey as an online fitness + mindset coach, grew it to a 6 figure business, and discovered her passion and talent for business coaching. Adrienne focuses on helping her clients find alignment with their business on a soul level with breathwork. She is the founder of Breath of Gold--a breathwork company that hosts weekly breathwork and also trains breathwork facilitators.

Listen until 7:46 to hear Adrienne talk about finding peace within.

“With my story of overcoming the eating disorder, I used to feel like food was that thing to fill the void, or food was that thing to give me pleasure. Or even you know dating and relationships was the thing to give me pleasure and shopping or buying new things was the thing to give me pleasure and novelty. When really everything is within ourselves and that is a lesson that comes through almost every single time I do breathwork and it’s a reminder because I think our human selves often forget that it’s all within us.”

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

https://www.adriennerivera.com/

Sponsors:

Jennifer Jackson - Accenture Canada Technology and Cloud Lead

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 03:00:00 +0000

Hey everybody!

A big shout out to our listeners from all around the globe including: USA, UK, Canada, Norway, Australia, France - and so many more countries…hello!

Love having you join us. I’m thinking about you and hope you’re doing alright out there. We need inspiration now more than ever!

So, On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the achievements of women across all aspects of society and, at the same time, recognize hurdles still remain to achieve gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow.

The theme of breaking the bias reminds us we still have a way to go and my fearless guest today has an impressive bio as a tech trailblazer Jennifer Jackson, is the first woman to lead Accenture’s technology business in Canada and passionate advocate for mental health - an interest we share.

Let me tell you a little more about her.

Jennifer Jackson is a Senior Executive at Accenture and runs the Canadian Technology and Cloud First business. Jennifer has worked across multiple industries but has focused on Retail the last 10 years. Jennifer has a passion for Mental Health and is the executive sponsor for the Mental Health Employee Resource Group. We have lots to talk about … welcome to the show Jennifer Jackson.

Listen until 23:41 to hear what Jennifer is most excited about when it comes to the future of technology.

"We, right now, are exploring a lot about the Metaverse, and how that will re-shape how we interact with each other. How businesses interact with their customers. How we can even do things, like, bring therapy right to people who may not have access through the Metaverse, and, so, I think that's going to completely change the way we as human beings work, and really spend time with each other. So, that I'm really excited about."

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Snøhetta

Isabella Alveberg - CEO of Snøhetta

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 03:00:00 +0000

As we’ve stayed closer to home these past two years, whether looking out the window or going for walks, we’re keenly aware of our surroundings and the important role design and architecture play in our enjoyment of spaces.

I am delighted to welcome someone who is actively seeking new opportunities to improve and create world-class architecture and design. She’s an impressive leader who has wide-ranging experience within global leadership, sales, marketing and operations. We met when she was a tech exec at a cyber security company and I was training one of her teams.

Let me tell you about Isabella Alveberg. She is the CEO of Snøhetta. It’s an integrated design practice of architecture, landscape, interiors, furniture, graphic and brand design, with offices all over the world including the home office of Oslo, Norway.

Listen until 12:07 to hear Isabella talk about the best piece of advice she received.

"The best piece of advice that I ever got, that I didn't wish I knew earlier, cause I was told that pretty early. But I wish I'd listened to that advice. Is really listen more than you speak. I did have a tendency to, uh, you know, to overcompensate and kind of push my ideas forward. And I think as, at least as I get older and take on more, you know, top-level of management positions.

I think it's really a good practice to ask for advice. You know, surround yourself with people that are a whole lot smarter than yourself. One of my New Year's resolutions with this year is really to actively seek dialogue, not just conversation, but dialogue to really, truly understand the other person and their point of view.

And then, in the end, I have to make the hard decisions. But again, I wish that they not only told me to listen more than I spoke but actually, I had listened to that piece of advice."

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Sponsors:

Stacey Gregg - Playwright, Screenwriter, and Director

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 03:00:00 +0000

One thing the last two years have reminded us of is how important the arts are to our enjoyment of life and our sanity as the pandemic has lingered. We love escaping into movies.

I am so excited to welcome a creative whirlwind and triple threat to the show today. Stacey Gregg is an accomplished screenwriter, playwright, and director, and she is going to talk to us about her feature-length directorial debut called Here Before. It’s a psychological thriller starring Andrea Riseborough, coming out in February 2022. It's a Rooks Nest and BBC Film.

Listen till 09:57 to hear Stacey talk about how her lived experiences influence her filmmaking.

"I grew up in a very working-class family in Belfast and you know, I didn't come from an artsy background or a professional background. I was also queer and knew from quite a young age, and I think that... Sounds almost a bit like a cliche to say it, but I think that outsider's perspective or feeling like I was always seeing things a bit sideways it very early on makes you very, I think quite empathic, you know, and you're always seeking to connect with people and find things in common.

I mean, I don't know quite how those things connect directly to the filmmaker I am. Except that I guess coming at things sideways, valuing voices that sometimes have been on the margins, understanding that solidarity is very important and we need to raise everyone up, not just ourselves or causes that feel like they only directly affect us."

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Rooks Nest Entertainment

Here Before IMDb

Sponsors:

Maria Teresa Hernandez - VP Sales and Brand Partnerships at Mirriad

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 7 Jan 2022 03:00:00 +0000

It’s a new year! My guest today is Maria Teresa Hernandez, She’s Vice President of Sales & Brand Partnerships at Mirriad.com - the leading in-content advertising solution company that brands like Lego, Dyson, Heineken, Deliveroo, Universal and so many more trust. Maria Teresa is responsible for the company’s overall US growth – driving business across brand and content partners, and something I love - she partners and empowers minority content owners and creators. She’s going to tell us about that and so much more.

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

mirriad.com

Underfashion's Untold Story, With Designer and Author Christina Erteszek

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 27 Aug 2021 02:00:00 +0000

I have a fascinating fearless expert to share with you. Christina Erteszek is the author of a new book The First Lady of Underfashions. As the daughter of founders of an innovative lingerie business: The Olga Company, Christina shares this memoir with excerpts from her parents’ Jan and Olga's private papers — a true family saga!

Her parent’s story is inspiring. Jan and Olga escaped from World War II Europe and arrived in the US with just a few dollars. They turned their paltry savings into a multi-million-dollar fashion business. That's an interesting enough story, but there is so much more to it!

At 14:17 min in, hear Christina Erteszek share an insight into her father's fashion process

"My Father said his favorite thing to do was to go to the sales table, because he always liked to look at what didn't sale - why didn't it work? Maybe it had a great idea, but it was also in a colour that was not attractive, so that good idea could not be discovered. So, it's exploring , it's like when you take a hike and you look for that heart rock... and if you keep on looking you find it."

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Sponsors:

Unlocking Personal Growth, With Mindvalley Co-Founder Kristina Mand-Lakhiani

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 02:00:00 +0000

Kristina-Mand Lakhiani is my fearless expert today!

She's an entrepreneur, international speaker, and artist. She started her career in a government office in her native Estonia, and by her mid-20s, achieved a level of success mostly known to male politicians - at the end of their careers. Shortly after that, Kristina and her husband Vishen founded Mindvalley - I love this company!

It started as a small meditation business operating out of the couple’s apartment in New York, then quickly grew into a global educational organization offering top training, for peak human performance, to hundreds of thousands of students all around the world!

A 17:42, hear Kristina talk about the most important habit for personal growth.

"The most important habit, the most important skill to learn, if you want to be on the path of personal growth and transformation, is the habit or the skill of being aware. So, living your life with awareness. And, I'm not even saying that you have to do things right - you have to eat properly, you have to move enough, you to control your emotions or what not - I'm not saying any of that, I'm saying just be aware. Once you bring awareness into your life, if will start changing."

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Sponsors:

https://www.instagram.com/eleanorbeaton/

Eleanor Beaton - Founder of SafiMedia

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 14:00:00 +0000

Very excited to have another fearless expert to share with you today. From Canada, the impressive Eleanor Beaton who is the Founder of SafiMedia, an education & coaching company for women entrepreneurs. She’s on a mission is to double the number of women entrepreneurs who scale past $1M in revenue by 2030! If anybody can do it she can make this happen. She’s also the host of the Power + Presence + Position podcast so you know we will have a ton to talk about today!

At 4:02 min, hear Eleanor share her views on "lifestyle" business stigma

"Because, ya know, Silicon Valley culture has really dominated the conversations around what it means to be a successful entrepreneur, what happens is that so many of the businesses, that many women start - consulting based businesses - service based businesses , are written off as a "lifestyle" business. The challenge to me is in terms of how scalable is defined, and the idea that a scalable business is a net value to society business."

Follow Eleanor Beaton's social, to be inspired daily!

https://www.youtube.com/eleanorbeaton

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanorbeaton/

https://twitter.com/eleanorbeaton

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Sponsors:

Overcoming Toxic Emotions, With Author and Mindfulness Expert, Leah Guy

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 9 Jul 2021 02:00:00 +0000

My fearless expert today is Leah Guy. She has appeared on hundreds of top media outlets for her deep knowledge on meditation, the mind-body connection, energy medicine and emotional and spiritual healing. We need this now!

Leah has a new book out, Overcoming Toxic Emotions, A Practical Guide to Building Better Relationships with Yourself and Others. This book is for anyone wanting to have healthier and happier relationships… so everyone! She has more than two decades of experience in private practice, where she helps people transform their lives .. very excited for our conversation today.

At 20:47min hear Leah's advice for anyone frustrated in their spiritual journey.

"It's frustrating - and I know it's frustrating because, I too, have tried a million different therapies and techniques and teachers and so forth, and it can be frustrating that we feel - even in the world of holistic wellness - we feel everything so separate, ya know, and there's so much to offer. So, I would just say to anyone to use your discernment and your best judgement with, the teacher, the author, the platform - what ever you choose, and make sure that it feels authentic and good, because a lot of people say a lot of words... and a lot of it is kinda spiritual bypassing, if I may. So, we have to be careful for that because are we just looking for, ya know, a daily little pep talk, or are we looking for substance? And, those two things are quite different"

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Sponsors:

Welcome to the show Leah!

Build Your Cultural Agility with Dr. Paula Caligiuri

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 2 Jul 2021 02:00:00 +0000

In our new Zoom era, businesses are funneling millions into global collaboration technology, now projected to reach a stratospheric $45 billion. Big tech that connects us globally is exciting but the real issue is that doing business across borders has less to do with technology, and everything to do with being culturally agile.

How do you break the ice in the UAE? When do you present a contract in China? How close should you stand to a South Korean? What about sharing personal details on Zoom - like what you did on weekend with your family. When working with people from different cultures, there is a lot to keep in mind. What makes you wildly successful in one culture can cause you to quickly crash and burn in another—even on Zoom.

Fortunately, my guest today, Dr. Paula Caligiuri, has the answers for us! She’s an award-winning author, distinguished academic, and leading expert in cultural agility.

She’s going to share proven, research-backed approaches to help our listeners succeed and thrive in any country, and with people from any culture - as she shares insights from her new book : Build Your Cultural Agility: The Nine Competencies of Successful Global Professionals

At 14:14min hear Dr. Paula Caligiuri share a moment a time she was fearless!

"I actually had saved my money to study abroad in 1987, I was in Rome Italy. So, I'm twenty, but it was the fall of 1987, so - the fall of 1987, Black Monday hit, the markets crashed, the money I had saved ended up being pretty much worthless. So again, I was out of my socioeconomic status comfort zone here. All the other kids at the school - all American at the time - they all called home, mom and dad sent more money... I called home and my mom and dad said "sweetheart get a job." So, I mean, it wasn't a mistake as much as it was, oh wow, I either have to turn around and go home at this moment, or go for it."

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Sponsors:

Being Strong Like Water with Laila Tarraf - Chief People Officer at Allbirds

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 02:00:00 +0000

Looking for inspiring reading this summer? My next guest has written a deeply moving and insightful book that I know you’re going to love!

Laila Tarraf, is author of Strong Like Water: How I Found the Courage to Lead with Love in Business and in Life. Laila offers us insights and inspiration for finding a natural balance and leading as a whole person—with compassion, courage, intellect and empathy. In this conversation Laila shares her deeply personal stories of what motived this book, and what can help you too!

(Guest Bio)

After graduating with an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley, Laila Tarraf became one of the founding team members at Walmart.com. She then served as Chief People Officer at Peet’s Coffee and Tea, an iconic San Francisco Bay Area premium coffee company. Currently, Laila is the Chief People Officer at AllBirds- the sustainable shoes and clothing company whose products are made with natural materials like merino wool and eucalyptus.

Find Laila Tarraf on:

Facebook

Instagram

-----------------

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Sponsors:

A virtual walk with Laura Peck - Vice President of TransformLeaders.ca

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Difficult conversations, encountering the media, making effective presentations, and leadership in crisis. -my next guest is an expert in all of these. Laura Peck, from Transform Leaders, started her career in Canada working as a Political Assistant on Parliament Hill, and as a Broadcaster for TV and radio with the CBC.

She’s well know as a leader who trains and coaches CEOs, Deputy Ministers, Ministers, and C-Suite Executives in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, and has been doing so for over 30 years!

Laura Peck is going to share insights from her impressive career and offer practical tips on putting your best foot forward.

At 15:05 hear Laura share am important part of who she is

"My earliest memories were, I wanted to have a career. My whole life I wanted to have a career, and that was a little bit different than some of the other people, however, even if somebody tried to, ya know, take me down a peg - or something like that, I just had this inner thing. I'm a third generation career woman also - my mother, her mother, that helped me a lot. But also, ya know, I'm willing to be accepting of other people, role modeling - I sought out mentors at the time, and I have done mentoring myself."

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Sponsors:

Leadership and Listening with Coach Boyd - Gee-Gees Women's Rugby at uOttawa

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 07:00:00 +0000

My guest today knows how to win! Jen Boyd is an inspiring coach that I wish I had the chance to be coached by in my earlier days - but I’ve never played rugby, only watched it.

Coach Jen Boyd’s rugby career stretches over three decades during which time she played club, provincial, and Canadian national level rugby. For the 2017 season, Boyd was made a full time coach with the University of Ottawa, making her the first full time female rugby head coach in Canada!

At 11:13 min in Coach Boyd shares what she wishes she knew earlier

"The power of empathetic listening - really listening to understand. I didn't do that till probably my 40's -cause I though it was about me, and leadership, mentorship, coaching, teaching - it's not about you. It's about everyone else, and that has been my greatest learning. I wish I knew that sooner. I wish someone would have told me to listen more..."

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Sponsors:

Catherine Cano - Founder and CEO of CanoVision

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 4 Jun 2021 10:04:15 +0000

My guest today is Catherine Cano - Founder and CEO of Canovision. So much has happened in her career since she joined me on show back in 2019, when she was the CEO of CPAC.

In this episode Catherine talks about leadership in times of crisis, through her experiences as a fearless COO of a large global organization. We also discuss what the future of work needs to look like, as more people are vaccinated around the world, and slowly some countries are beginning to open up. It's great to think about the lessons learned so far from these challenging times.

At 6:02 min in, hear Catherine Cano share the experience of Covid 19 becoming a global pandemic.

"Ya, I'd been actually traveling for three weeks, and landing in Burkina Faso, a little small country in the west of the continent. They took our temperature, and gave us hand sanitizer. And it was funny for me because I had just spoken to the headquarter in Paris, where things were good, ya know, we had one or two cases... there was no sense of emergency. And then suddenly in those countries they were actually careful, preventive. So it told me that their instincts were right, And so, I came back to Paris and decided to create what we call a crisis cell."

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Sponsors:

Ellie Fields - Chief Product & Engineering Officer at SalesLoft

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 28 May 2021 02:00:00 +0000

This weeks guest joins us from Seattle! It's Ellie Fields, who is the new Chief Product and Engineering Officer at SalesLoft . It's a company that is frequently recognized for its award winning culture, and a company that combines the art of selling, with the science of technology to help sellers build trust and make meaningful connections with buyers - even when the worlds gone digital.

Ellie has an Undergraduate Degree in Engineering and also holds an MBA from Stanford. As a women in tech she has lots to share from her very impressive career. We'll hear about that and more!

At 9:53 hear Ellie share what she's learned about the world of work

"I think that there's just so much variety out there. I really didn't know much about the world of work when I entered it, and I spent a lot of my first few years learning , but I didn't realize how many ways there were to approach problems... how many different companies, how many different paths there are out there. I think I had a much more rigid view of what the world was, and I think today I see... ya know I see kids come out of college... and I think there's a lot more awareness of different paths you can take, and different patterns. I'd encourage people to investigate that and look at that and if a standard career ladder doesn't work for you, just switch it up and see what you can do to do something different."

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Show notes call to action:

Sponsors:

Kirstine Stewart - Head of Shaping the Future of Media, at the World Economic Forum

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 21 May 2021 02:00:00 +0000

This weeks guest has a bio that's so impressive, and she continues to dazzle - it's Kirstine Stewart! If her name sounds familiar it might be because she is a high profile media executive and author of the bestselling book: Our Turn.

She is currently the Head of Shaping the Future of Media at the World Economic Forum. She was formerly the Head of English language services at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Vice-President of Media at Twitter, and President and Chief Revenue Officer of TribalScale...to name a few.

Kirstine is married to the Honourable Zaib Shaikh, the former star of Little Mosque on the Prairie, and the current consul general of Canada in Los Angeles.

At hear 17:35 Kirstine Stewart share a story about the right way to handle a sales deal.

"One of my earliest sales opportunities was to sell The Raccoons to Saudi Arabian television. They were willing to buy it site unseen, the BBC had just bought it, France 2 had just bought it, it was selling wildly globally, and it's a kids show - so should be relatively safe. But when I warned them that, ya know, given that they're a Muslim country, and that some of the main characters were pigs.... that they shouldn't be buying the same site unseen. That might want to consider that before doing so. I could have in that pitch made that sale immediately, but it was not the right deal to close. They said thank you very much, they did not buy the show, they came back later and bought a whole lotta other content afterwards anyways. So understanding what you client or audience needs is so important, and the authenticity means you're giving them what they need and what they want - and exactly that."

Check out Kirstine Stewart's book! - Our Turn

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

The World Economic Forum

Sponsors:

Fatima Zaidi - Founder & CEO of Quill Inc.

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 14 May 2021 02:00:00 +0000

My impressive guest today is Fatima Zaidi. She is the CEO and Co-Founder of Quill Inc. - the world’s first one-stop marketplace, where podcasters can find pre-vetted expert freelancers! She is also the owner of the Listen In Conference, held in LA, that supports brands moving into podcasting.

Fatima is a member of the National Speakers Bureau, a commentator for BNN Bloomberg,. and a contributor to The Globe and Mail. She has won two Top 30 under 30 awards, the Young Professional of the Year by Notable Life, and one of Flare Magazine’s Top 100 Women. See? Impressive!

At 19:02 hear Fatima share her current thoughts on the pandemic

"Oh my goodness, everything is bugging me right now, I'd love to ya know, see my family again.... I cannot wait to walk down an isle and hear those magical words this is your captain speaking...lol. I think when all of this is over I'm gonna do a reverse quarantine, which mean, I'm not going home - ever! I think about all the plans that I used to turn down before all of this, and regret it , and I'll longfully... willfully think about those days, summer patio days and days at the cottage, but I would say right now I'm more or less feeling very grateful that this is almost over. I'm glad that all my friends and family are all healthy. That I think is the most important thing."

Check out the book! - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Visio

Sponsors:

Claire Haidar - CEO and Founder at WNDYR

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 7 May 2021 02:00:00 +0000

I’m excited to welcome this weeks guest, Claire Haidar. Claire is Co-founder and CEO of WNDYR and Pattyrn: two companies focused on shaping the world of work, through AI-driven data analysis of how and where teams work. Pattyrn is transforming organizations to work in ways that were inconceivable a mere few years ago.

Claire is also a Board member of UNICEF, talkSTEM and AccelerateHer - organizations that are making a monumental impact in working environments around the world, for humanity at large. We have so much to talk about!

At 8:36 hear Clair Haidar describe the girl that grew into the woman she is today!

"My little daugher recently called me an "earthotologist" - she literally made the word up in the moment, and she couldn't have been more accurate. Like, if you go back to my 9... 10 year old self, than I am the epitome of an "earthotologist." I hated wearing clothes. I had a fish pond in the back garden, and a huge huge avocado pear tree. And, I used to spend every waking hour, that I could, under this tree and in this fish pond. And I would climb this tree as high as I possible could to see how strong the branches were before they would start cracking."

Check out the book Claire Haidar references: Out of Many 1

Check out the book - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Sponsors:

Amy Kiernan - Sector Lead At Twitter and Professional Coach

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 02:00:00 +0000

My guest today is Amy Kiernan. She’s sector leader at Twitter, leading a sales team. Amy's a professional coach, and a self described game addict, who says that walks among trees makes her happy. She’s going to tell us about that and so much more!

At 6:12 min in, Amy's shares her thoughts on handling the "keyboard courage" of others.

"It doesn't sit well, it's unfortunate that that happens, across all platforms. What I would say is, don't be silenced, continue sharing your message, that's the most important thing. Focus on what it is that your purpose is, and don't' be silenced - don't listen"

Check out the book - Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision

Sponsors:

Jackie Danchek, OFX Head of Corporate Clients - North America

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 02:00:00 +0000

My guest this week is Jackie Danchek. Jackie is Head of Corporate and eCommerce Dealing for North America at International Fintech Company, OFX.

According to Jackie, the finance and tech industries have always had many obstacles for women looking to make their way into a leadership position. She says, Although it’s a step toward breaking down barriers into the Wall Street - boy’s club, the recent news of Jane Fraser’s appointment to CEO at Citigroup is only a small victory. Jackie has many insights to share from her career as an expert and leader in the complex high stakes area of finance, that is international currency exchange - where she helps businesses move money across borders. She’s going to tell us more about being in finance and tech and so much more. .

Hear Jackie recall her thoughts about the 2016 election at 23:06min

"I can remember... I mean the election in 2016 was a real turning point in my life. And, I was angry, I was sad. I can remember going to the polls that day, with my cousin, we were both so excited, we were like, this is the day we've been waiting for, that a women's going to be President. I'm so proud that I'm voting in this election. And then, it just all came crashing down and went the other way, and at the time it felt like, oh my gosh, how did this happen. Her book being titled "What Happened" is so appropriate, - that's exactly what I was saying. And I think that was kind of the point in my life where I was like, ok, just because I'm a women in finance that doesn't mean that I need to be held back."

Sponsors:

Diversity and Women in Tech, With Laura McGee - Founder and CEO of Diversio

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 02:00:00 +0000

I have a very exciting Fearless guest for you today! If you look up impressive in the dictionary, you’re going to find her name. I'm talking about Laura McGee. She's the founder and CEO of Diversio, a tech startup that uses AI to help organizations become more inclusive. Diversio works with clients in 30 countries around the world, and has been featured at global events like the G20 and Davos.

Prior to Diversio, Laura was a consultant at McKinsey & Company - with a focus on economic growth. She was named a Top 25 Women of Influence in 2017, and currently serves as Co-Chair of Canada’s Expert Panel on Women Entrepreneurs. Her board positions include ArcTern Ventures, Global Citizen, University of Waterloo, Ted Rogers School of Management, and, she is a David Rockefeller Fellow with the Trilateral Commission!

At 22:24 hear Laura's #1 advice for people thinking of becoming a tech entrepreneur

"Number one, don't listen to any of the conventional wisdom. So... anyone can become an entrepreneur, that's not something that you're born with or without - in my opinion. So if you think you have an idea, and you think you wanna take the leap, just do it, commit. Try it out for six months, if it doesn't work the world is not over. Everyone has a backup plan, and I know that's said from a place of privilege and not everyone has the same backup plan as others. But I really do believe if you're passionate and crafty you'll work it out."

Laxmi Parthasarathy - Chief Operating Officer of Global Press

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 9 Apr 2021 02:00:00 +0000

My guest today joins us from Washington DC! She has many accolades in her very impressive career. She wears tons of hats, including: COO, author, mentor, founder, speaker, and passionate advocate. It's Laxmi Parthasarathy, Chief Operating Officer of Global Press.

She leads global operations across each Global Press brand, spearheads the global expansion strategy to build new bureaus, and develops new partnership strategies to bolster the organization's reach and long-term sustainability. Over her career, she has led initiatives at the intersection of media and development in Canada, India, Rwanda, Mexico, Spain, Argentina and the UK. And that’s just a small sampling of her many achievements!

At 17:59 Laxmi shares a story about her humble beginnings into the business world

"Ya know, when I was 10 I was doing all sorts of strange things. I started a leaf raking crew - is what we called it. I would gather everybody on our street and we'd start racking leaves and be so excited when we got five dollars. I'm not sure I knew what I was doing back then, but it was a fun way to be with friends and try to gather people together. and do something productive"

Sponsors:

Ending Energy Poverty With President of Growing Greener Innovations, Connie Stacey

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 2 Apr 2021 02:00:00 +0000

I have an incredible guest to share with you today! She is on a mission to end energy poverty globally. She's designed a modular battery powered generator. It is her response to the loud, noxious, combustion engine generators that currently dominate the market.

I'm talking about Growing Greener Innovations President, Connie Stacey. And her job just got a little easier. She is the 2021 winner of the Pitch For The Purse program from The Forum - which included a $50,000 dollar prize. We'll talk about that and much more.

At 10:30min in, Connie recounts her Pitch For The Purse!

Janice "You pitched in front of an audience of almost 2 thousand viewers, and ultimately won the 50 thousand dollar purse. Tell us about that experience?"

Connie "Ya know I think the very last thing I ended up saying, was on a questions, they asked me... why you, why now? And I said, well, I believe what we have built is truly the cell phone of power. And like the cell phone brought communication to every corner of the world, we're gonna bring energy" - mic drop

Sponsors:

Jaime Leverton - CEO at Hut 8 Mining Corp.

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 02:00:00 +0000

I have an exciting Fearless guest for you today! I’ve been a fan girl since I first met her - years ago - when I was Board Chair of Women in Communications and Technology in Canada, and she had already stacked up a ton of well deserved accolades. I’m talking about Jaime Leverton.

Jamie is the CEO of the publicly listed bitcoin mining company HUT 8. She's been a driving force behind the operational re-imagining of some of Canada’s most important tech companies, with senior executive roles at; eStruxture, Cogeco Peer 1, National Bank, BlackBerry, Bell Canada, and IBM Canada. She’s an avid runner, a mom, and a volunteer serving on boards including: Stratford Festival, Technation and more!

Hear some wisdom from Jaime Leverton at 15:54

"What I realized was, I had never done any networking. I didn't have relationships outside of that IBM bubble. And really, I felt alone a bit. And I had to think of myself and my career in a whole new way, and in a very self centered way. And so, rather than thinking about how I'm going to get the next promotion, and having that world view be how other people look at me, I flipped it, and all of the ownership became my own, and how was I going to drive myself to the new opportunity, and have people want me on their team and want me in a leadership role."

Sponsors:

Lauren Kelly - Chief Marketing Officer at ThoughtExchange

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 02:00:00 +0000

I have an exciting Fearless guest for you today. Let me tell you all about this inspiring leader. Lauren Kelly is Chief Marketing Officer at ThoughtExchange. Prior to her current role, she held senior executive positions at PepsiCo, Dell, and Irvine Company. She's been recognized as a rising leader by numerous organizations including: the California Diversity Council, Internet Marketing Association - and that's just some of her accolades.

She has a passion for disruptive tech, global branding and go-to-market innovation. And, Lauren's attended the prestigious Harvard University - where I was on the Women’s Leadership Board - Harvard Kennedy School WAPPP . We'll talk about that and so much more!

At 22:23 hear Lauren talk about what she wishes she'd known earlier

"I wish I had known earlier that , there wasn't a single prescribed career path. I would say, I sent a few years trying to mold my own career moves and plan around the backgrounds of others. And that's not a bad approach at the beginning, but it has it's pitfalls... If you're looking at someone who's already made it to maybe, a place more senior and more advanced than you, their information is ten, to fifteen, to twenty years old - in terms of how they got there. So, you're modeling yourself after an older model, and presuming that what you're destined to do is entirely similar to what they're destined to do, and that what the world needs in the future , is what it needed in the past."

Sponsors:

Lisa LaFlamme - Chief Anchor and Senior Editor of CTV News

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 03:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Fearless Women Podcast. Season Three!

My guest today is Lisa LaFlamme, an important and trusted voice in Canada. She’s the Chief Anchor and Senior Editor of CTV National News.

She has an impressive career, and has covered many international events and conflicts, such as: the September 11th attacks , the War in Iraq, the Arab Spring in Cairo, and Hurricane Katrina.

She has also covered every Canadian Federal election since 1997, and every Olympic Games since 2006. She covered the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2012, and the royal weddings of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, and Prince Harry and Meaghan Markle.

Hear Lisa talk about why she covers these important events at 23:45min

"On the ground, when you're doing these things, and you're driving through these cities...and check points.. and there's insurgents behind every cover in your brain, but you think, I am on my way to a school right now to interview a bunch of girls who are brave enough to go to school under these circumstances, so I am brave enough to go to their school and talk to them, so that Canadians can see... there is hope, even in Afghanistan at it's darkest Taliban days - there is hope."

Radically Change Your Relationship to Fear - With Fear Expert Kristen Ulmer

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 5 Mar 2021 03:00:00 +0000

My guest today is a thought leader, high performance facilitator, and a fear & anxiety expert - who when you look up the word fearless in the dictionary - her picture is right there!

This remarkable women is in the the Hall of Fame as the most ‘fearless’ woman extreme skier in the world - a record she held for 12 years. Kristen was also voted the most fearless woman athlete in North America, by the outdoor industry, beating out all other women athletes (specially women extreme athletes).

She is the author of: The Art of Fear: Why Conquering Fear Won’t Work and What to Do Instead. A book which radically challenges existing norms about this misunderstood emotion.

At 12:08 Kristen shares the first 3 (of four) levels to becoming intimate with fear. "See fear as a person, like a roommate in your life. You know, if you're in resistance to that roommate, you're going to have issues at home - right - and home being your body. If you accept that, ok they're going to be a part of my life, there's nothing I can do about it, ya know, it's a step in the right direction... but it's still offensive to fear. The third level, is where it gets really interesting, cause now you're no longer dealing with your fear intellectually, you're now dealing with it emotionally and physically, as you embrace your fear. Now, imagine if you embrace the roommate, you're no longer in your head, you're no longer thinking, you're now in your body, and having a physical experience."

Sponsors:

Speaking Up and Including Others - With How She Hustles Founder, Emily Mills

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 03:00:00 +0000

I am so excited to welcome my guest today! A few words from a long list to describe her: trailblazer, changemaker, and inspirer.

I’m talking about Emily Mills, who has been recognized by WXN Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women, and Ryerson University’s Alumni Achievement Awards - to name a few.

Emily has brought women from the "How She Hustles" community to meet former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, and hosted a roundtable with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau - to highlight a few. Emily founded "How She Hustles" in 2010 - and since then, she has created one of Canada’s leading social networks for diverse professional women – from entrepreneurs who are making their mark in the start-up ecosystem, to corporate professionals who are changing the leadership landscape.

Hear Emily share a beautiful message of gratitude at 29:23min.

"I've had some amazing things happen, some of them you mentioned - of course our time lines don't tell the whole story, our digital bios don't tell the whole story... but if I look at the sum of my life, I am so grateful. Man, there have been so many things, even the things that were hard as hell. I feel like my steps were divinely ordered. And I don't say that with arrogance, but with the utmost humility. Like, my life was designed for a reason - all of our lives were designed for a reason. And I guess I just feel even more aware of that - now more than ever."

Sponsors:

At The Table - With Principal Nathalie Des Rosiers

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 03:00:00 +0000

My guest today is Nathalie Des Rosiers - the Principal of Massey College, at the University of Toronto. She is a former member of the Provincial Parliament for Ottawa-Vanier, and prior to entering politics, was the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Common law sector at the University of Ottawa (2013-2016). More recently, Nathalie was selected as a 2020 mentor with the prestigious Trudeau Foundation.

In addition to these impressive roles - and many more that we discuss in the interview, she has received the Order of Canada, and the Order of Ontario!

At 17:13 hear Nathalie Des Rosiers share some important wisdom about applying ourselves

"I applied to many jobs that I did not get, I call that the back of the CV... ya know the front of the CV is all the great things... you need to have applied to others things that you can't get. And you can't get a front of the CV unless you have a back of the CV. So, you apply, you get an interview... or not, but when you get interviewed you learn from that process... but I remember the first time that I applied to something that was a little bit beyond my reach... it's because a guy in my class had applied for this, and I thought, if he applied... why shouldn't I? It was my sense of... he has confidence, why don't I? And then pushed myself a little bit to do it."

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Having the Courage to Dream and Trust - With CEO Anna Crowe

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 03:00:00 +0000

I'm so excited to welcome entrepreneur extraordinaire Anna Crowe. She is Founder and CEO of Crowe PR , an Amazon bestselling author and adjunct Marketing Professor at University of San Diego. She has numerous awards and achievements in her fascinating career, and I’m excited to get her insights on what’s she learned from working with iconic brands in New York, LA and San Diego, and so much more.

Hear what Anne wished she knew earlier at 23:22 min, "Well, this is gonna sound a little woo-woo, but I honestly wish I trusted the Universe more... earlier in life. Sometimes things don't work out as you intended, and you get disappointed, right, or you have a hard time dealing with it, or keeping your belief. But, I find that time and time again the Universe shows you the reason why something didn't work out. So, letting go of something when it didn't work out, sooner, not dwelling on it, and believing that something better - or different, is meant to be, or is intended for you, and it's right around the corner.... it's kind of like that old classic song ""Que Sera Sera "" what will be will be, right."

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Getting Naked - With Author and Entrepreneur Joel Primus

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 5 Feb 2021 03:00:00 +0000

My guest today is an inspiring person who has had tremendous success. Joel Primus is an author, speaker, award-winning documentary filmmaker, serial entrepreneur, and a man behind a premium underwear company Naked. Joel co-founded Kosan Travel , which launched one of the most successful Kickstarter apparel products of all time — reaching over $1M in sales in 30 days. He appeared on CBC’s hit show Dragon’s Den, was one of the inaugural BCBusiness 30 Under 30 entrepreneurs, and is also the author of a brand new book, Getting Naked.- The Bare Necessities of Entrepreneurship and Start Ups.

Here Joel tell the story of a massive stumbling block his company overcame at 11:42 min in.

"We got this order from Holt Renfrew, and I'm like, oh my gosh we're gonna be huge! Ya know fast forward, I get a call and somebody's like - I now know why you call the underwear naked, because it doesn't stay on when you were it. And I'm like, what do you mean? He's like, it falls right off. And obviously the feeling where your heart goes into your stomach - and sure enough, we had not design the product correctly for a number of the size categories, and the underwear just shot right off. - ya know, our waistband less theory had failed, and I had to retract 19,000 pairs of underwear I had to figure out how to turn the business around with this thing, and like, failure asks you the question - do you wanna keep going?"

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Serendipity and Being Present - With Former CEO of Malala Fund, Farah Mohamed

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 03:00:00 +0000

My guest today is Farah Mohamed, a social profit entrepreneur who knows how to grab hold of a challenging current issue and ensure action and momentum, for results towards a better world - in any role she plays.

Farah is smart, funny, and a big thinker. She has already had such an inspiring career and she is just getting started. She was CEO of the Malala Fund - an organization inspired by Malala Yousafzai, who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban for going to school, and became the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Farah is also the Founder of G(irls)20, an organization which galvanizes the world’s greatest resource – girls and women – and cultivates a new generation of leaders through education, entrepreneurship and global experiences. We are going to talk about that and so much more.

At 15:19min Farah shares this experience "One of my most memorable moments was, we were in Iraq, sitting on this dirt floor. And Malala, and myself, the chair of the board at the time - and these amazing young women. And they were talking to us about wanting to pursue education rather then be a child bride ..... The reason I'm telling you this is that - you had to be present, right. You can't... you can't be somewhere else when somebody else is telling you something like that. Sitting and talking to those girls, I learned to be really really present."

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Pulling Women out of Poverty, while Pulling Planes - Lia Grimanis

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 03:00:00 +0000

We are all in serious need of inspiration, as we continue through this challenging time. My guest today is the definition of fearless - Lia Grimanis, Founder and CEO of Up With Women - an organization that gives women and children inspiration and strategies for rebuilding their lives after homelessness.

Lia has many remarkable feats to her name. Financial Post Magazine listed her as one of Canada's 100 Most Powerful women, and in 2012 Chatelaine named her one of the 2012 Women of the Year. And yes, she has Guinness World Records!

At 17:08min hear Lia recount the incredible story of pulling her charity from the brink of bankruptcy " I was staring down the last 5 thousand dollars in my bank account, and I was joking with the shelters that they might want to make room for me - I might become homeless again. And at that point, I was giving a talk for the international women form. Wendy Freeman, the CEO of CTV news was in the audience, we were talking about Up With Women - she said, I want to put you on TV. I said, well great! I'm about to go bankrupt, I would like to break a Guinness World Record on live TV, and then I was going to sell the exposure for sponsorship - cause if I couldn't get grants, I knew I could sell stuff. On my 42 birthday, I broke my first Guinness World Record on Live TV, and within a matter of weeks we had raised almost 40 thousand dollars, and we were back in business."

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Insuring Women's Prosperity With Business Leader Pamela Jeffery

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 03:00:00 +0000

Numerous studies have found that the large majority of women in Canada and elsewhere have been adversely affected by the pandemic, with the majority of those women concerned about their ability to progress in their careers. My next guest is Pamela Jeffery, Founder of Women's Executive Network, and The Prosperity Project - a new organization for women. She has an impressive career and is a visionary. She magically seems to create exactly what is needed for women in Canada.

An inspiring message from Pamela Jeffery at 23:02 min in "I have something on my desk that I'm looking at this very moment. And it reads, what would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? And that has led me to create the Women's Executive Network, and most recently create The Prosperity Project. We can't afford to fail as a country when it comes to keeping women in the work force. We can't afford to fail as a country not having flexibility provided to working parents. We need our economy to recover as much as possible."

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The Importance Of Deep Listening with Dr. Pascale Fournier

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 8 Jan 2021 03:00:00 +0000

My guest today is incredible! I admire her so greatly for her knowledge, her passion, and her accomplishments. She is also page 96 in my Fearless book. Dr. Pascale Fournier is the President and CEO of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation - which is an independent and nonpartisan Canadian charity, established in 2001 to honour Pierre Elliott Trudeau's ideas and values.

At 31:35 Dr. Pascale Fournier talks about her personal journey, and how the foundation is helping to shape leadership. "When I was younger I was driven by activism and social change. And I wanted things to go fast, and I wanted to shake to structures and rebuild the structure... and so on. And with time I understood how complex it is. So, at the foundation, we build the leadership curriculum around leadership of self, leadership of others, and leadership of systems. And so first, you need to know yourself, and need to know and identify your own blinds spots. And at the same time as you do that work and that kind of journey, you need to know about others and what is you relationship when you communicate with others, and are you really into the deep listening mode - or are you paying lip service, right?

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Reinvent Your Relationship To Food, With Dietitian Abby Langer

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 1 Jan 2021 03:00:00 +0000

Happy New Year! 2021 we have been waiting for you. As you begin to make your New Year's resolutions I have the perfect guest to help you with your nutrition goals. My guest today is Abby Langer, a food and nutrition expert, and the author of Good Food, Bad Diet. She's going to talk about the negative effects of diet culture, and how to gain a healthy relationship with food -and still lose weight!

At 6:47 you'll hear Abby explain the massive issue that's plaguing people's relationship with food. "This is the first thing I get people to do. So, if someone sits down with me and wants to lose weight, and I can see that they have sort of a negative relationship with food and their body. I ask them, how often do you say negative things to yourself about food and about your body? And, invariably they'll say, ya know I don't say it that often... once or twice a day. And so, what I get the person to do is, I get them to really make an effort to recognize each and every time they say something either out loud to themselves, or in their head, about their body that's negative. And almost a hundred percent of the time they'll come back and they'll say - I say these things to myself ALL DAY LONG!"

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Leaning Into Fear - With Ice Climber Sarah Hueniken

fearlesswomenpodcast@gmail.com (Janice McDonald) — Fri, 25 Dec 2020 03:00:00 +0000

For those celebrating, Merry Christmas! I've got the perfect gift for you today - an inspiring guest who has a powerful story to share about testing your boundaries, chasing and achieving massive goals, and so much more! Her name is Sarah Hueniken and she is the founder and owner of Sarah Hueniken Guiding. She's been recognized in Canada as a top 100 most powerful woman, and I've had the great good fortune to share the virtual stage with her.

Listen till 10:21 to hear Sarah talk about her most memorable climb! " There's this - and it's ironic - it's for Christmas. But there was an ice climb called The Christmas Tree and it's in China. And from a distance, it looks like... it's really hard to even explain how this could happen, but because of the drip coming out the top of the drainage and the spray from the ice it actually forms what looks like this frozen Christmas tree. And both Will and I knew we had to go do that, and so, a few years ago we went to China to climb The Christmas Tree and I still remember coming around the corner, very curious what it would look like, and nothing prepared me for what that climb looked like."

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