Mentorship: A Missed Opportunity

Recently, Diana Davies-Harju, the CMO of Magnifi asked me to talk about the advantages of mentorship as part of strategic planning at an event for young entrepreneurs. Magnifi is an audio and video platform that connects people to expert mentors, on demand. It’s like using FaceTime or Skype, with a built-in meter. Although these ideas […]

Making Sure You Get Paid When You’re Self-Employed

Freelancing and self-employment are not for the faint-hearted. Along with the joy of being your own boss, you’ll also have the “fun” of being your own payroll clerk, accounts receivable department, and occasionally a collection agency. How do you make sure you’ll get paid?   1. Screen your potential clients well. Look for any hint […]

30 blog ideas to help small business owners

For many small business owners, posting blogs frequently is important because it gives them a chance to stay connected with their audience. Unfortunately, over time, their blog sites become inactive because they find it hard to find new topics to blog about. If you need fresh and new ideas for your blog, pick from these […]

New summer program empowers girls to become leaders

Every day, more women and girls are stepping up and taking on leadership challenges. They’ve been motivated and encouraged by movements like #MeToo, #TimesUp, and the Women’s March to get out in the streets and into elected politics. This is a time of rapid transition. People of all genders are figuring out who they’ll be […]

15 low-cost marketing ideas for women entrepreneurs

I founded my network, Canadian Small Business Women in 2013 with the hopes of helping other women entrepreneurs successfully navigate the tricky waters of owning and running a company in a male-dominated landscape. The reality is that compared to male-owned businesses, women-owned businesses are younger, have fewer years or management or ownership experience compared with […]

Progress is for all people …

Like most parents, I am both thrilled and scared for my daughter and what the future will bring. Climate change, confusing and scary politics, and the evolution of technology to a point where most industries will resurface into formats that we barely recognize are just some of the challenges that lie ahead. There are very […]

Women’s Issues are HR Issues

The tide has changed over the past several months. Instead of women quietly and discretely coping with sexual harassment, the pay gap, and various forms discrimination they’ve been speaking up … and sometimes yelling. Women’s issues are no longer a narrow niche – they are front and centre, especially in the workplace.   Women’s Issues […]

It’s time to modernize women’s organizations

It looks like a woman’s place is now online Women’s issues have never had as much attention as they do now.  Whether it’s #metoo and the attention that’s being paid to the rampant sexual harassment, the thriving sex trade, or the missing and murdered Indigenous women, it is impossible to ignore the weight and enormity […]

Why the Zonta eClub of Canada1 is Working with ManUp

  Members of the Zonta e-Club of Canada1 have many community partners and work on numerous local projects. One of our major advocacy projects is collaborating with ManUp. ManUp is a group of male high school students in Ottawa who are determined to prevent and/or reduce violence against the women and girls in their community. Their […]

Rape culture, victim blaming, and education

    Some people might find this a difficult column to read. The words that follow might make some people uncomfortable. Yet, sometimes we must acknowledge uncomfortable truths in order to change and move ahead.   Poet Mary Hathaway once wrote,  “If rape was a colour it would be red.”  As I say that word […]

Why Feminism Needs to be Rebranded

This June, the Liberal government unveiled what it called “Canada’s first feminist international-assistance policy,” with plans to ensure that at least 95%  of the country’s foreign aid would help improve the lives of women and girls through equality and empowerment initiatives. There were, however, no plans to increase foreign aid to fund the new feminist […]