The Opinion - October 2014

3 A Letter from our Founder

6 Today’s women leaders and the mentors who helped them | Petra Kuret

7 Privacy in the workplace and protecting your personal brand | Peter Carayiannis

8 Successmeansfirstfindingyourpassion|Dana Krook

10 Celebrating a milestone for women in business | Pamela Jeffery

11 The Art of Listening | Natalie Panek

12 Employees agree: The most important part of a job isn’t always the work | Jenny Winter

16 Tips to remember when teaching your kids about money | Rhiannon Traill

18 Photo gallery | @wxnetwork

20 The Art of Living Well: 10 tips for a healthy work-life balance | Rose Reisman

21 A Recipe for Curried Chicken with Bell Peppers | Rose Reisman

22 Mentorship: Instant Career Upgrade Starts With Just a Cup of Coffee | Janice McDonald

24 WXN’s Favourite Tweets | @WXN

26 Decoding the female consumer and brand loyalty | Deborah Adams

Table of Contents

OCTOBER 2014 | THE OPINION2

T hank you for choosing to spend your time here, with the best and brightest female leaders in Canada. It’s a particularly exciting time at WXN as we prepare for our 12th annual Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards. Each year, I

am amazed by the contributions Canadian women are making across industries and sectors. Since launching the Top 100 Awards in 2003, I have witnessed the growing achievements of women—like you—in business, politics, academia, science, the arts, not-for-profits—allareasoflifeandwork.Increasingly,wearechangingthelandscapeand the dialogue around the skills necessary to lead in a knowledge economy—and it is truly inspiring.

This year, the theme of the Top 100 Awards is Timeless. We look at women who, throughtheirconfidence,courageandperseverance,relentlesslypushpastobstaclesto make a difference. The message is as strong today as it was in 2003: gender diversity at the highest levels of decision making is essential to drive the best outcomes for everyone. According to the Canadian Board Diversity Council’s 2013 Annual Report Card, women hold just 15.6% of board seats on FP500 companies and 18% of directorships on TSX60 companies. The federal government recently announced a national goal to raise the representation of women on FP500 boards to 30% by 2019. This is an important step. And a necessary one.

In this issue, we tap into the expertise of women such as Brenda Andress to learn about one of the key qualities of a timeless leader: the ability to truly listen. She shares how taking the time to listen can be the catalyst to build engagement, strengthen relationships, innovate and ultimately drive success.

Janice McDonald, a 2013 Top 100 Winner and co-founder of This Space Works, a company that connects mobile workers to fabulous places to work and makes them available by the hour or by the day, shares what she has learned about the true power of mentorship to advance a career.

Attracting and retaining top talent is a top-of-mind issue for organizations around the countryandacrosstheworld.JennyWinter,ChiefPeopleOfficeratCapitalOne—oneofCanada’s 50 Best Workplaces—explores what drives employee satisfaction/engagement and the role culture can play in making it happen. It’s a critical topic as we head into a global shortage for highly skilled talent.

If there is one hallmark of a timeless leader it is a passion and unwavering commitment to makingadifference.Top100WinnerRhiannonTraillispassionateaboutfinancialliteracyandteaching young people about how to manage their money. In this issue, she offers tips on how you can help raise money-smart children. One key takeaway: it’s never too soon to start.

It’s also not too late to reserve your seat at our Top 100 Awards, taking place on November 27, recognizing the achievements of Canada’s Most Powerful Women. Visit top100women.ca to learn more.

I hope you will join us in celebrating the legacies of timeless leaders!

Sincerely,

A Letter from our Founder

3OCTOBER 2014 | THE OPINION

It’s time for you to help uschange the face of Corporate Canada.

To learn more visit boarddiversity.ca

but only

Visible minorities represent over

In 2013, only of board directors in the mining/oil/gas industries were female .

In Corporate Canada, women make up only 15.6% of board directors.

2097

of directors feel their board is diverse76%...84.4% of those directors are men

9%

of Canadaʼs population

of FP500 boards3.4%

At this rate, gender parity may not be achieved until

Should your board develop a formal diversity policy? 26% of directors said yes

...more than twice as manysaid no.

According to the Canadian Board Diversity Councilʼs 2013 Annual Report Card:

In 2013, 73% of the TSX 60 directors did not meet one of the four diversity criteria: women, visible minorities, Aboriginal peoples, or people with disabilities.

93% of directors say diversity is “important” to them ...yet only 21% have a formal diversity policy.

19%

T o borrow an oft-used phrase, behind every great woman leader is an army of men and women.

It’s true: we didn’t rise to leadership on our own.Asconfidentasweappear,wewerenot born knowing what to do. Anyone who insists otherwise is not giving full credit to their circle of support. The truth is, to become leaders, we have solicited and sorted advice from many sources, including a very important group: our mentors.

Tough situations arise on the road to the top, and without carefully-chosen mentors, it can be a hard and lonely journey for even the bravest, smartest and most prepared. The best leaders pull from a diverse pool of mentors who can ask the tough questions about their path when it takes the inevitable sharp turns.

I say “diverse” because too often we aren’t thinking about diversity when we select our mentors. In fact, many of us want to choose someone just like us, or how we imagineourselvestobeinfiveor10years.But to get the most out of your mentor circle, you need to think broadly and aim high—well away from your comfort zone. I talk about career success in terms of the three P’s: passion, perseverance and perspective. A well-rounded set of mentors will help fuel all three, but particularly with perspective.

Take a longer look at those leaders who made it to the top: behind these women, you will find a diverse support network,nearly always including some powerful men, as well as women, whom they have selected as mentor advisors. It’s important to remember that when seeking mentors, we must treat it like any other role in the workplace for which you’re hiring: consider a diverse array of skills, backgrounds and profiles.

I’ve been lucky to have several great mentors in my client service career at Accenture, including our current Canada President, Bill Morris. Over the past 15 years of working together, Bill has helped me deliver on some complex and challenging projects, always pushing me with questions and encouraging me to focus on my strength: building powerful business relationships to drive client value creation. Bill is a great mentor who helps women in leadership roles take the next step to advancing their careers. Having a mentor with the power to “level the playingfield”hashelpedmeimmensely.

I have been fortunate with mentors, but it’s also important to give back by mentoring others. Critically, consider whether your circle of mentees is diverse. Paying it forward broadly across your organization will help build the mentoring culture for a future generation of leaders, fueling their passion and building a stronger organization. It costs only my time and opinion—of which I have many. When mentoring others, I recognize their time is valuable. My goal is to maximize their benefitbylisteningwell,then“tellingitlikeit is,” problem solving and never being too busy to persevere and get into the details.

Consider Annalisa King, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officerat Best Buy Canada. An advocate of

mentoring, both within her company as well as in the WXNWisdom Top 100 Mentoring program, she clearly sets out the business case for mentoring, “The importance of mentorship is all about providing perspective. At Best Buy Canada, our mentorship program is not only popular with participants, but it has paid dividends in shaping our future leaders. My own mentors were an essential element of my success, having channeled the ‘let your conscience be your guide’ mantra of Jiminy Cricket to encourage and foster my abilities.”

By participating in the WXN program, Annalisa says she has been able to give back beyond her immediate organization. “In return, I gain so much insight and inspiration from each mentee,” she says.

Accenture has informal and formal mentoring programs for our more than 300,000 employees worldwide, for which last year we invested more than $850 million—or 52 hours per person—in training and development. That’s because we believe it benefits each of ouremployees to have the opportunity to learn from and be coached by the best people in the business. Whether it’s providing access to supportive leaders or colleagues who share an industry, technical and functional expertise, a mentoring relationship is another way to develop professionally. It’s just as important as training courses, practical experience on the job and formal feedback programs. Maybe more so.

It doesn’t have to be a lonely road to the top—the more types of mentors you have on the way, the richer your experience will be.

PETRA KURET IS THE PARTNER & MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR BC AT ACCENTURE

Today’s women leaders and the mentors who helped them

by Petra Kuret


L inkedIn. Facebook. Twitter. Blog posts. Forum posts. Social media has had an explosive impact on not only

how we communicate, but also what we communicate, as well as to which audience and on what platform. All of this is happening in a world where your personal brand is more important than ever. With the rapid growth of social media and the importance of building and protecting your personal brand, people have legitimate questions about privacy in the workplace and how their online presence might impact their brand and their professional reputation.

An important consideration to keep in mind is that employers have the right to track online social media activities that might cause harm to the reputation of their business. For example, a tribunal in B.C. recently found that disgruntled employees could not expect to use

Facebook to publish “offensive, insulting and disrespectful comments about supervisors and managers.” Digital is not a free pass.

However, the right of employers to track online activities of employees is not absolute. Employers must have a legitimate purpose for tracking activities. For instance, an employer cannot intrude on an employee’s privacy when there is no legitimate or overriding purpose for doing so.

Social media policies should be clear, concise and, most importantly, in writing. As an employee, you should familiarize yourself with your employer’s social media policy.

Look for provisions about employers monitoring social media platforms from time to time. As new social media platforms pop up rapidly, a policy must be worded toextenditscoveragebeyondanyspecificsites mentioned. It is important that employees understand why the monitoring of social media matters to a business, as well as which actions constitute a breach of policy and grounds for dismissal.

Employers and employees alike should be aware that what’s published online can

spread very quickly across multiple social media platforms, with the potential to quickly produce negative consequences. This applies equally when the business day is over.

We all work hard to protect our professional reputations and now we confront the reality that we must also monitor and manage our online presence. With a legitimate business purpose, your employer can monitor your online presence.

Spend time ensuring your online presence reflects your professional brand. Manageyour digital presence. Search your name from time to time to see where you appear and in what context. Monitor postings and tags and educate your friends and family—even go so far as having them remove or delete inappropriate posts and tags. It’s your reputation, and you are the best person to protect it.

Remember, digital is forever. There is no delete button for the internet.

PETER CARAYIANNIS IS THESENIOR PARTNER AT CONDUITLA W

Privacy in the workplace and protecting your personal brand

by Peter Carayiannis

OCTOBER 2014 | THE OPINION 7

M any people say, in order to have success, you have to plan for it. Brenda Andress, the

Commissioner of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, would agree. But she’d probably point out there’s more to it.

“When I started Passion Productions, which was doing leadership courses, I would go out to companies and say, ‘I’ve written this great book. I’ve written this great leadership course. And it’s about finding your passion within. It’s aboutconnecting with knowing who you are, who you were born to be,’” she says. “They alllookedatmelikeIhadfivesetsofeyes.”

It sounded too “out there” for the corporate world. They wanted to know howher ideacouldbequantified. So shegave them a mathematical formula:

M2 ÷ V = PM is both your mission statement and who you’re meant to be, depending on your skills; V is your vision, the end goal; P is your passion, what you love to do. “It’s quite simple,” Brenda says. A recipe for success based on learning to listen to your own intuition.

Though she appears at the top of her game now, Brenda started out by simply playing the sport she loves from the time she was knee-high. She became the first femalehockey player to see real ice time on a men’s varsity-level hockey team. But there was no future for women hockey players past that point. So, she moved on to other things.

Brenda had established herself with a prosperous career working for various municipalities—Ottawa, Newmarket, Oakville, Toronto—in the area of Parks, Recreation and Culture. She was doing well, building Award-winning facilities services and communities, not to mention earning sixfigures.Butgreateropportunitieswerewaiting for her in private enterprise.

In 2008, Brenda was asked to help out a collection of women’s hockey teams trying to put together a league. At their summit, Brenda was brutally honest with them: if they really wanted to do this, many of the players around the room would not be on the ice in the future. Instead, they would be the pioneers building the elite professional women’s hockey league from the base up, which would start with narrowing down the teams. “Every single one of them turned and said, ‘It’s not about me. It’s about what could happen for the women who are about to come.’”

What the players realized that day was this league could not only be good for the women’s hockey, but also stand for something greater. “Hockey is a way for us to get out to the young kids of the world and say, ‘you can be what you choose to be in life.’ It’s about building leaders and building dreams,” she says.

It was at this moment that things changed for Brenda—a moment of truth. She decided to take the advice given out in her leadership courses. Letting external influencesfallaway,shewasfinallyabletohear her intuition, an inner voice telling her

that what she really loved was hockey. She took the job as Commissioner.

“Most people try to be what people tell them they should be and not what they were born to be,” she says. “What’s made me successful is that I decided to be me, what I was born to do and not what everybody told me to do.”

Now, the sport of women’s hockey is growing, becoming more socially acceptable, attracting more sponsors (like Scotiabank and the Insurance Bureau of Canada) and a larger fan base. Also, Sportsnet recently announced they will air three games of the annual Clarkson Cup in March 2015.

Brenda’s number one goal for the future is to see that the inspiring women in her league are paid to play, something that will foster hope for the next generation of young women—whether they want to be professional hockey players or something else entirely. “I think every single woman should know that they are worthy of whatever they choose in life,” she says. “And this is exactly what our league is about.”

Brenda’s continual and tireless pursuits for gender equality in this arena, and beyond, may put her on a pedestal. And, of course, we should celebrate the people and the moments that really make a difference. But Brenda wants to make sure those who look at her success story are shining light on what’s truly important. “I don’t want to besomeone’shero—arolemodel,fine.Thequalities that you look to see in me are the qualities you’re looking to see in yourself,” she says, going back to that intuition, that inner voice. “The hero is the person inside of you.”

Successmeansfirstfindingyourpassion

DANA KROOK IS THE SENIOR COORDINATOR OF PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AT WXN

by Dana Krook


Most people try to be what people tell them they should be and not what they were born

to be. What’s made me successful is that I decided

to be me, what I was born to do and not what everybody told me to do.

- BRENDA ANDRESSCOMMISSIONER, CANADIAN WOMEN’S HOCKEY LEAGUE


I t’s monumental times like these when we take the opportunity to go back and revisit the past—to take stock of

how far we’ve come and why we’re on this road.

In 2008, I was approached by Clare Beckton, a WXN Top 100 Award Winner and a powerful woman in her own right as the Deputy Head and Coordinator for Status of Women Canada. She had looked around the room of a Top 100 event, impressed by all the individual achievements of the other Winners. But, she saw a gap between all of the talented, smart women and their true connection to the tables that brought change to companies across Canada: the board tables.

Board directors are the decision-makers of a company: they decide who leads, who follows, what direction to pursue. They decide everything. In 2008, of those around the table of FP500 companies, women made up only 11%.

So, she contacted me to do some research about how we could change this and get more women onto boards. I came up with four strategies: research the current status of board gender diversity; create corporate governance education programs to train individuals for boards; start roundtable discussion where there can be peer-to-peer learning about best practices; and generate a list of board-ready candidates to facilitate recruitment.

I also suggested the focus should be more than just women included in this definition of diversity. In order to trulyreflectthepopulation,Ifeltboardsneededto have more visible minorities, as well as individuals of Aboriginal status, with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community.

Clare agreed. But it didn’t end there. She told me that I needed to be the one to do all this. I balked. There needed to be an organization to advocate for board diversity, but it couldn’t be mine. WXN just didn’t have the resources or the time.

What she explained to me next changed everything. Clare said that WXN was about inspiring smart women to lead. But, in order to lead, to truly make change in this world, it had to be from the very top. Board diversity would make women stronger. And that was what WXN was all about.

And so, in 2009, we launched the Canadian Board Diversity Council, a company closely tied to WXN. We hosted the festivities at The National Club where, ironically, women were only allowed to join as of 1991.

Those four original strategies are still what drive the CBDC today: research, education, discussion and recruitment. We’ve made progressinjustfiveyears.Nowtherehasbeen, or what could be, a huge leap.

The Ontario Securities Council has released the final requirements for the“comply or explain” mandate, which will lead companies to comply with the disclosure of the following: term limits for board members, numbers of women, a written board diversity policy and the process of consideration of women for executive officer and board roles. If theydon’t comply, they will have to explain why they aren’t complying! Other provinces and territories are now signing on: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Québec and Saskatchewan.

This is important because, by drawing clear lines around what this board diversity should look like, the OSC has removed the “wiggle room” that others use to ensure they don’t have to make major changes, definingdiversitywith age, education andbackground.

As of 2013, the CBDC Annual Report Card shows that boards are 15.6% women. The federal government target for 2019 is 30%. A similar “comply or explain” mandate was introduced in the UK in 2012; they will most likely hit 25% next year.

Targets work well for Canadians because it gives us a goal, with the guidelines now in place to help us get there. We have something for which to strive. It’s not about numbersorfillinginspotsjustforthesakeof it (like sometimes happens when you set quotas); it’s about setting ourselves up for progress that is meaningful and necessary with highly skilled individuals who are in a much larger talent pool.

And that is a reason to celebrate. To look back on how far we’ve come. To see how far we can go in the future.

Celebrating a milestone for women in businessby Pamela Jeffery

PAMELA JEFFERY IS THE FOUNDER OF WXN AND THE CANADIAN BOARD DIVERSITY COUNCIL (CBDC)


A s part of a self-driven professional development initiative, I recently started hosting leadership Lunch

and Learns at my workplace–opportunities for staff entering leadership roles to discuss and learn from each other’s experiences. One of the common themes emerging from these sessions is the art of listening, whether in a leadership role, working with peers or interacting with customers and clients. Listening is a symbiotic process that requires practice and time, a fundamental element of any team-based environment. It creates a space where everyone has a voice.

Especially in my industry where technology is at the forefront, listening is the foundation for developing solutions that are at the leading edge. Listening is also central to understanding and delivering upon customer requirements and expectations while pushing the limits of what is possible. Simply taking the time to listen is often the catalyst which drives success in a team environment. This is even more critical in fast-paced environments where the boundaries and constraints are constantly changing, and projects can sometimes abruptly shift in direction. Listening allows teams to deconstruct a complex task, breaking it down into building blocks in order to address the fundamental issues.

I have worked on so many technology projects, particularly in male-dominated environments. This has ranged from building a solar-powered car and driving it across North America, to learning how toflyand,now,workingonspacerobotics.In each case, collaboration was at the heart of success. But collaboration relies on teammembers finding and taking thetime to listen and learn from one another. When I say listening and learning, I mean

opening up authentic and truthful lines of communication. This is particularly true in multidisciplinary environments where diverse perspectives are a reality. Success in each of these endeavours relies on collaboration with several schools of thought in the pursuit of a common goal: innovation. Listening provides a stabilizing factor which allows teams to maintain logical thought processes in the face of unexpected circumstances. This is the beauty of sharing ideas and really taking the time to pay attention when they do arise.

In my world, projects and environments are constantly in flux. In these situations,listening facilitates honest conversations where expectations can be managed

between peers, employees, managers and clients. Consider that sincere conversations may bring up difficult questions, whichrequires being open to disagreement and respectful conflict.This is okay andparticularly relevant to increasingly diverse and multigenerational teams. Sometimes it is the smallest idea realized from a different vantage point that can positively shift the course of a project and drive success. It is through the art of listening that a project becomes truly achievable.

The Art of Listening

NATALIE PANEK IS A MISSION SYSTEMS ENGINEER AT MDA ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION

by Natalie Panek


F or employers in Canada, there is good news and bad news. First, the good news: employee retention rates

are consistently on the rise, with more and moresatisfiedemployeesplanningtostayput for the foreseeable future. The not-so-good news is that all these engaged professionals make recruiting top talent a difficult task. And while compensationis still very important when attracting the best, employers have to account for otherbenefits inorderkeeplevelsof jobsatisfaction high.

WhenCapitalOnefirstopeneditsdoorsinCanada almost two decades ago, attracting the finance industry’s best talent was atop priority, especially in Toronto, home to manycompetitorsinfinancialservices.Fastforward close to twenty years later: we’ve evolved our strategy so we have the right culture,programsandbenefitsinplacetokeepourgreattalentsatisfied.

It’s well documented that a company’s core values, and the way employees perceive them, is a key driver of job satisfaction. Values create an emotional connection and a sense of being part of something bigger, which can be a very powerful motivator. Leadership teams also need to know how

those values are expressed in the day-to-day workplace in terms of guiding people’s behaviours and how business decisions are made.

This can be achieved through two-way communications channels, which the digital office ismaking increasingly easier to setup. Employees will be surprisingly honest if you give them the platform to share their perspectives; companies who give them a voicewillbenefitfromtheinsightstheywillreceive. This is part and parcel of engaging employees in the company’s purpose because they see how their efforts are contributing toward a broader goal; they see that they have an active role in the company’s success. This ultimately leads to higher engagement, more satisfaction with their work and higher retention.

Inthefirstpartofthisseries,Italkedaboutthe importance of learning and development when researching top employers. People learn and develop three ways: on-the-job experience, through development courses and formal programs, and coaching and mentoring from senior leaders. Companies looking to retain their talent would be wise not to forget about the latter since our survey found 24% of Canadians ranked mentorship from senior staff in their top three drivers for job satisfaction. Companieswith satisfiedemployees tendto have talent management programs that offer opportunities for all three types of learning, including mentorship.

At the end of the day, we all need to take ownership for our own career growth. I recommend to the people I mentor to think in terms of lattices and ladders. We

can grow and develop horizontally as well as upwards, and everyone should look for ways to expand their skillset.

Surprisingly, promotions are not a major factor for most Canadians when they consider what makes an ideal work experience. Pay is important—we all need to eat and have a roof over our heads—but the other components of total rewards are what keeps employees fulfilled, includingdevelopment, recognition, involvement and a feeling they are contributing to something bigger.Employees who put in the extra time and effort want to know that their growth and development will be recognized in the form of regular bonuses and pay raises. Approximately three-quarters of Millennials rated this as a top priority when considering job satisfaction, and the number was even higher amongst those aged 35 to 44. Regardless of age, Canadians want to know that their paycheque will reflect their efforts to develop skills andtake on new challenges in the workplace.

Overall, Canadian employers are focused on the right things to retain their employees. That said, employers who lose sight of their staff ’s evolving needs and expectations will end up on the hunt for talent. And when competing companies are investingintheiremployees,findingagoodreplacement is no easy task.

JENNY WINTER IS THE CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER AT CAPITAL ONE CANADA, RECENTLY NAMED ONE OF THE 50 BEST WORKPLACES IN CANADA BY THE GREAT PLACE TO WORK INSTITUTE (CANADA)

1 Provide regular bonuses with annual pay increases; link pay to performance! – 77% 2 Offer a competitive retirement

packageandbenefits–58% 3 Enable flexibility in how andwhere employees get their work done – 44%

Employees agree: The most important part of a job isn’t always the work

by Jenny Winter

T h e t o p 3 t h i n g s t h a t a n e m p l oye r c o u l d d o t o i n c re a s e j o b s a t i s f a c t i o n a re :


CONNECT WITH US AT WXNETWORK.COM

At the Women’s Executive Network (WXN), we inspire smart women to lead. Our community of over 19,000 smart women across Canada and Ireland is proof positive that we, as female leaders, have strength in numbers. If you or your organization are not currently members of our community, you should be.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

REGISTER AT TOP100WOMEN.CA

At WXN we inspire smart women to lead. Join WXN as we celebrate our 12th annual Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards.

Our day of recognition begins with our Top 100 Leadership Summit, the perfect opportunity for you to take your career to the next level and get inspired by remarkable women. This event for professional development will feature four keynotes and a panel discussion with Top 100 Award Winners, all speaking to the theme of what it means to be an “Agent of Change”.

Following our Summit, we invite you to join us at our Awards Gala, themed Timeless, which will feature a cocktail reception, several guest speakers, including Kathleen Taylor, Chair of the RBC Board as our Keynote for the evening, as well as a live band performance!

This will be an event that you won’t want to miss.

AWARDS GALA5:15 - 9:30 PMMEMBER SEAT: $400NON-MEMBER SEAT: $500 TABLE OF 10: $5,250

LEADERSHIP SUMMIT11:30 AM - 4:30 PM

MEMBER SEAT: $325NON-MEMBER SEAT: $375

TABLE OF 10: $3,400

NOVEMBER 27, 2014THE METRO TORONTO CONVENTION CENTRE


O ne of my greatest passions in life is teaching young Canadians about personal money

management. I love the idea of making financial literacy a mandatory subjecttaught in schools across the country, starting as early as Kindergarten. In my mind, there is no greater cause as a truly financially literate population that willlead us to economic stability, health and prosperity. Who doesn’t want that?

However, getting kids excited about money is not always easy. Actually, let me rephrase that: getting kids excited about spending money is always easy, but getting them excited to save money? Well, that’s a completely different story.

Over the last few years, I have worked directly with over 7,000 youth and educators through my organization The Jr. Economic Club of Canada. Our goal is to make financial literacy fun, relevantand attainable for youth. I would love to share with you a few important things I’ve learned when it comes to relating with kids over money matters:

1. Keep it relevant – I promise you that there’s not a 14-year-old in the world who would jump out of her chair to talk about retirement. Kids want to know about the things that impact them today. Thetroubleisthatmostpositivefinancialdecisions don’t produce immediate gratification. So in order to keep thingsrelevant, you might have to simulate the consequences and rewards to help them better understand concepts. This is where games can come in handy. At Jr. EC, we let students role-play in order to see how

the decisions they make now impact their future.Thislinkagecanhelpmakefinancialconcepts seem less daunting and more relatable.

2. Talk from experience – The best and most authentic way to learn in life is to go out and experience something for yourself. The second best way is to hear other people share their real life experiences. Too many parents and teachers don’t share their own personal stories about money success and failure. Simply telling your kids stories about choicesandfinancialdecisionsyou’vemadewill have a tremendous impact, especially if you tell them about times when you failed and the lessons you learned as a result.

3. Get them thinking about the little things – Whenever I take my three year old son to the grocery store, I make him estimate how much our bill will be. We make it a game and shout out an amount to each other, then wait for the cashier to give us the correct answer. He’s only three, so his guesses are always a little outlandish. “A MILLION DOLLARS!” “FOUR DOLLARS!” “I think it’s going to cost 12 O’CLOCK, MOMMY!” It doesn’t matter if he’s right or wrong. The value is gained when he makes the connection that there is a cost associated with everything. Groceries don’t just appear out of thin air; we have to buy them. Get your kids to play these little games with you when you go to the gas station, out for dinner or when buying a friend’s birthday gift. You will be surprisedathowbeneficialitreallyis.

4. Build self-esteem – I take a holistic approach when teaching kids about money. I think that financial literacy isonly one piece of the puzzle when trying to raise a happy, healthy and successful young person. I love to help youth make the connection between mind, body and wealth. That being said, I believe that self-esteem plays a huge role in raising financiallyliterateyoungpeople.Ifachildislackingconfidence,hemaytryandfillthatvoid by accumulating things. She needs the newest expensive gadget to be considered “cool,” or he must wear designer clothes in order to feel worthy. This is a trap and is increasingly prevalent in our consumer-driven society. Build your kids up. Sing their praises. Help them to see all the reasons why they are special. I won’t claim that this will result in them never desiring designer clothes or cool gadgets, but it will result in them realizing that they are more than what they own.

5. Do it often – My last tip, and probably the most important when talking to your kids about money, is to do it often and early. Incorporate your children in family financial decisions. Let them seethe household bills and show them how you manage the payments. Let them pick a toy or an event that they really want and then show them how to make money doing household chores so they can earn it themselves. These real life lessons will become the stepping stones for future financialsuccess.

RHIANNON TRAILL IS THEPRESIDENT & CEO OF THEECONOMIC CLUB OF CANADA

Tips to remember when teaching your kids about money

by Rhiannon Traill

Rhiannon Traill is the President & CEO of The Economic Club of Canada and the Founder of The Junior EconomicClubofCanada,anorganizationdesignedtoinspireCanadianyouthtobecomefinanciallyliterate. In 2013, Rhiannon was named a Top 100 Award Winner in the TELUS Future Leaders Category. Paying it forward as a WXN mentor, Rhiannon shares some tricks of the trade: how to get your children thinking, saving and practicing effective money management.


Keep it relevant

Talk from experience

Get them thinking

about the little things

Build self-esteem

Do it often



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M y wonderful family consists of four children, two German Shepherds, two Ragdoll cats and a husband—not

necessarily in that order. My husband Sam always says that in his next life he’d like to

come back as one of my dogs!

During the past 20 years, I have I managed to carve out a career as an entrepreneur and business woman in the food industry. As a nutrition expert, author and caterer, it’s been a busy, hectic and fulfilling life, but the term“work-life balance” is a daily struggle. Since my work covers the world of healthy eating and cooking, I feel that I’malwaysworking.Tofind timewhen I can “shut off” is tough, but a necessary component if I want to stay healthy and feeling energetic.

Every woman will have her own definition of “work-life balance”.Women tend to put everything else before their own needs. I learned many years ago that if I always did this I would lose myself in the process. You have to findoutwhatyourprioritiesareoutsideyour work and family. For me, it’s exercise firstthingintheweehoursofthemorning,followed by my daily walk with the dogs.

That’s an extra two hours I must have in my day. It’s what gives me the energy to sustain

the rest of the day, as well as keeping myself healthyandfit.

As we age, it’s not so easy to maintain your weight and body image – something that is important tomenomatterhow“superficial”itmaysound!Fueling and nourishing our bodies to give us energy and strength is important for our busy lives and to keep us healthy and mobile as we age.

Here are my 10 tips for trying to squeeze everything you can out of your day and still maintaining some semblance of balance:

1. Prioritize the top three areas that are most

importanttoyouandfindthetimetofocusontheseduring the week and weekend.2. Utilize your mobiles. I can walk the dogs and send emails. I can read articles while on the elliptical or treadmill. I can be on the beach and send texts. You don’t have to be in front of your computer all day to beefficient.3. Entrepreneurs tend to take fewer holidays. I try to squeeze in occasional long weekends to balance my life. Since I love exercise, it’s usually a fitness-related break.4. Celebrate your successes during the year to replenish your creativity, passion and energy.5. Decide what your balance is. Since my kids have left home, I spend about three quarters of my time working. With a young family, it may have to be different.6. Give yourself guidelines. Family time and dinner time is sacred to me. I insist on everyone shutting off their phones.7. Use those around you to help with work or daily errands. I count on my husband as my sounding board. He sees things more objectively and always gives me great advice. I have assistance in my home to help with shopping and preparation of meals. I order my groceries online and let student companies do handy work around the home. This allows me to work more and have more discretionary income.8. My mantra is a quote from Winston Churchill: “A pessimist sees the difficulty in everyopportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”9. Take a few minutes each day to relax. Maybe it’s a powernap, exercise, reading or cooking. For me, it’s getting into bed earlier and watching a favourite show.10. Quality time! What’s that again? For me, it’s having a ritual of Sunday night dinner with my children, their significant others and my husband. This is asacred time when I reacquaint myself with the family.11. Most of all, it is important to realize that we can’t have it all, all of the time. By following some of my tips, you’ll be seizing the day like you’ve never done before. Carpe Diem!

ROSE REISMAN IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE ART OF LIVING WELL, AND A 2009 TOP 100 AWARD WINNER

The Art of Living Well: 10 tips for a healthy work-life balance

by Rose Reisman


WHAT YOU NEEDFor the main dish:1 lb boneless chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes3 tbsp all-purpose flour2 tsp vegetable oil2 cups sliced onions2 cups sliced red bell pepper1 cup sliced green bell pepper

2 tsp minced ginger1 tbsp red curry paste1 tsp hot sauce (Sriracha)pinch of salt and pepper1 cup light coconut milk1 tsp cornstarch

2 tsp brown sugar

For the garnish:3 tbsp chopped cilantro

Jasmine rice (optional)

Curried Chicken with Bell Peppers

Rose Reisman’s

Coat the chicken in the flour. In a large skillet sprayed with vegetable oil, add 2 tsp (10 mL) oil and sauté the chicken on medium heat until almost cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet, wipe the skillet and respray with vegetable oil.

Add the onions and sauté on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers, garlic, ginger, curry paste, hot sauce and salt and pepper and sauté for 3 minutes.

Combine the coconut milk and cornstarch until dissolved and add to the vegetables along with the salsa, lemon juice and sugar. Add the chicken, cover and simmer for 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly.

Garnish with the cilantro and cashews. Serve over jasmine rice if using.

Make ahead: Cook chicken and prepare the sauce early in the day. Complete the dish just before serving.

21


I recently stood in front of cascading rows of Mac computers in a packed university classroom. I was the guest of

a Professor friend who invited me to talk about my career to her students. All those lit up Apple logos were visual reminders of how technology has shaped learning since I sat in those same seats. Everyone brings a computer to class and has up to the moment information. They looked me up online before I even addressed them. Their first impression of me was nowdetermined by Google.

I faced the roomful of eager undergraduate students and realized one thing was still the same: they were keen to hear real-life career stories. Everyone is looking for an edge. What suggestions did I have to help them get ahead? A single word: mentorship.

One of the best ways to move your career forward is with a mentor. An immediate benefit is that it requires you to be self-reflective.What do I need to work onin my career? Is there an area that I want to focus on? Even the process of neutrally considering your strengths, goals, weaknessesandperformanceisabeneficialexercise to prepare for a mentor. For students, it could begin with understanding thedailylifeofanexecutiveintheirfieldsof interest. A quick coffee meeting can offer incredible insight into what the job actually entails, which can be invaluable.

What makes mentors so important to career advancement? Mentors are wise. They can help you manoeuvre around

challenges and avoid career pitfalls. To me, mentorship is a simple strategy for success. I have been lucky. Mentors and sponsors have helped me in my career. Sometimes, they shared their network or made me aware of opportunities. Other times, they asked hard questions. I have also mentored and continue to do so. It’s a rewarding activity.

I understand, as a woman, you may be reluctanttofindamentor.Accordingtoa2011 survey of more than 1,000 working women conducted by LinkedIn, one out of fivewomensaythey’veneverhadamentorat work. The comparatively low numbers of female managers to female entry levels offers one explanation. Another reason is those women who remain in the workforce often feel too strapped for time.Thoughitcanbedifficulttomakethetime for mentorship, in my experience, it’s completely worthwhile. More and more, women around the globe are realizing the weight of its importance and the number of female mentorships is growing.

Recently, I was invited to join the Cherie Blair Foundation to mentor a woman entrepreneur, somewhere in the world. This organization combines mentoring with technology, bridging the gap across physical and cultural differences. It’s pioneering a new way to support women entrepreneurs, which I am so excited about.

Before you get to the global scale, the

best place to start is local. I encourage you to seek out a formal program, like WXNWisdom Mentoring programs, or an informal one, where you bravely ask someone to work with you.

What should you look for in a mentor?

An ideal mentor is a good listener, someone who will challenge and encourage you to reach for your goals. For the relationship to thrive, you need a solid foundation and guidelines. Trust and confidentiality arethe bedrocks of a successful mentorship. Discretion, openness and willingness to commit time allows for positive discussion. And, it is a two-way street: both parties have to honour the guidelines set out in the beginning.

Take a look around you. There are generous people who are willing to share their time and talents with you, but you have to take thefirststep.Ihavementoredasignificantnumber of women over the years—both formally and informally—and remain committed to the value of the activity. As I have often said, I am comfortable being uncomfortable. It might feel awkward at first,butyournextmentorshipcouldstartas soon as you ask a colleague out for a coffee.

Mentorship: Instant Career Upgrade Starts With Just a Cup of Coffee

by Janice McDonald

JANICE MCDONALD M.A. ICD.D IS THE CO-FOUNDER OF THIS SPACE WORKS, AND A 2013 TOP 100 AWARD WINNER


Are you following us on Twitter? Here are a few of our favourite twitpics since our last issue of The Opinion. Tweet us your pictures, and your snapshots could be featured in our next issue!

twitter.com/WXN@WXN#WXN


H ow many times have we, as marketers, walked out of a planning brief looking to target

“women, aged 25–54”? Who is that person? What are her cares, values and aspirations? How do you break through the clutter and reach her?

New research by Harbinger demonstrates that there is much more to a woman than her sex and age. We recently conducted a large-scale North American research study to explore the connection between female consumers’ values, demographics and preferred brands. We wanted to identify andcharacterizespecific,actionablefemaleconsumer segments, to understand the relationship between a woman’s values and the brands she loves, and draw implications fordefiningwinningbrandpurpose.

Our research validated the existence of six lifestages, which can be further broken out into 10 female consumer segments. Italso identifiedthevalueseachof thesesegments holds and how these values relate back to brand loyalty.

There are some great insights amongst segments that marketers can draw from to connect with women. Our 10 segments

are outlined and categorized within their lifestages below, along with a top-line view of their cares and values.

SINGLETON• Young Single – She’s looking for brands which help her to feel confidentand beautiful, to express her individuality and to have fun.• Independent Woman – This segment will respond to brands which respect her intelligence and empower her to achieve her personal goals.

ME TO WE• Double Income No Kids – This woman seeks fun, experiential brands that she can enjoy with her spouse and friends, while building her home.

PRE-SCHOOL MOM & SCHOOL MOM• Single Mom - She has high hopes for herself and for her children; she will respond to accessible, social, aspirational brands which empower her to pursue her dreams on a shoestring.• Full-Time Mom - More than any other segment, the full-time mom seeks brands that will enrich her household and her family’s lives, help her put her children firstandbetheconsummatehomemaker.• Dual-Income Mom - This segment will respond to practical brands that allow her to spend more time with her family and to service their core needs (health, love, self-esteem) to the very best of her ability; she is unlikely to fall for bells and whistles, preferring products that make her family happy and her life easier.• High-Income Professional Mom - She rarely compromises and seeks

aspirational, experiential brands that enrich her busy personal and family life (think lifestyle brands with rich stories and premium packaging).

ZOOMER• Solo Zoomer - She is experienced and practical in her view of brands, who in turn can help win with her by building credibility through expert endorsements, especially online.• Coupled Zoomer - Responds to wholesome brands which help her to remain relevant in her role as wife and caregiver (possibly as a grandmother) and to brands that enable her to enjoy a happy, healthy transition into retirement.

GOLDEN YEARS• Golden Girl - She is probably the least likely to try new brands, as personal experience is her largest purchase influencer. The biggest opportunity formarketers is to appeal to her strong desire to preserve her health and wellness and to clearly demonstrate superior value.

What does this mean?

Brands need to consider the actionable differences—as outlined above—that exist between female segments. Considering the differences in priorities and lifestyles among the various target segments will enable you to tell your brand story through resonant marketing programs. Consumer attraction and retention strategies should consider how a woman’s values, priorities and behaviours shift over the course of her life.

There’s more to a woman

by Deborah Adams

Decoding the female consumer and brand loyalty


One brand that we think has done a great job of connecting with its core target is Forever 21. This fast fashion brand empowers women to express their individuality, to stay on trend and to have fun with the clothes they wear. Our research showed that Forever 21 ranked as a top brand amongst its Young Single target, lining up with values like fun and creativity, interests like fashion and beauty, and the loyalty driver of “brand gets me.”

As evident from the values and cares of our segments, it’s clear that, more and more, consumers are looking to engage with brands with a point of view that add genuine value to their lives. Their spending behaviour proves it, based on data from the Stengel 50—a study that established a cause-and-effect relationship between a brand’s ability to serve a higher purpose anditsfinancialperformance.

By gaining an understanding of women’s values and what’s important to them, there is a major opportunity for marketers to develop a brand purpose that taps into those cares and desires that ultimately can drivepurchase,preferenceandprofit.

DEBORAH ADAMS IS THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND MANAGING DIRECTOR AT HARBINGER

About HarbingerHarbingerdevelopspurpose-drivenprogramsthatdrivepreference,purchaseandprofitwithwomen.Wecombineourbroadanddeepunderstanding of consumers with our proprietary process and tools to ensure we deliver the best strategic approach and the strongest possible marketing programs to meet our clients’ objectives.


At WXN, we inspire smart women to lead. As a result, we’re constantly reading posts and comments from thought leaders, like you, who we would love to feature in our next issue of The Opinion. If you’d like to contribute to our magazine, please email Amy St. Louis, Director of Sales & Marketing at [email protected], or Kelly Tyson, Manager of Marketing at [email protected].

THANK YOU TO OUR BREAKFAST SERIES, COCKTAIL SERIES, WXNWISDOM AND TOP 1OO PARTNERS

THANK YOU TO OUR WXNWISDOM MENTORING FACILITATORS

THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS

The Opinion - October 2014

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