Sharp Women Heartland | January 2021 by SharpWomen

welcome

letter from the editor JANUARY 2021

An Amazing Ride It all began when my friend of many years and one of the founders of Sharp Women, Danielle Klooster, asked me to be the assistant editor for her newly formed magazine in Central Alberta. I’ve done this type of work before and I was thrilled to get back into it. It wasn’t very long though before Danielle had other ideas. When she asked me if I wanted to start a magazine for the Heartland area, my heart really started to pound! I’m passionate about the written word and I’m passionate about creating things out of nothing. A magazine brought both of those things together! As part of the process of setting up the magazine, I had to find experts to write on a variety of topics and I also had to interview for some of the articles. I was blown away by the wealth of talent and passion I found. I talked to women who were passionate about technology, finances, personal development, food, the non-profit sector and health. We are all so unique and bring such different things to the table of life. There are many aspects that make up a healthy whole person and I look forward to creating a place where every aspect of our lives, from our health to our finances to our spirituality to our professional development is discussed and ideas are shared. As I look to the future, it’s my sincere desire to make Sharp Women Heartland Magazine a place where the passion and uniqueness of the women in this community is brought forward and celebrated. A place where we can all lift each other up, learn together and grow.

NOTICE & TERMS OF USE “The Editor reserves the right to proof and edit content, without changing the intent.The Editor reserves the right to challenge statements and assertions of fact where citations or proof of fact is not offered. Sharp Women Magazine reserves the right to reject material that promotes, in the view of the publishers, unsafe or unhealthy practices, hate speech or other inflammatory content. Online comments are subject to review and deletion if deemed inappropriate. The material and content on this site are for information purposes only. Sharp Women Magazine assumes no liability or responsibility for any inaccurate or incomplete information, nor for any action taken as a result. Content has been contributed by individuals, events and/or organizations, and, as such, may not have been verified by the publishers. The opinions expressed in articles, features, ads and editorials are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of the publishers. Any reproduction of the content and material in Sharp Women Magazine, without the express written permission of the publishers is strictly prohibited, though sharing links to the magazine and/or its articles on social media, with credit, is permitted.”

Business

KATHERINE LORANGER Relationships

SHARON MCMULLAN-BARON

JUDY FERGUSON Non-Profit

Health & Wellness

DESIREE STEWART Professional Development

LYNN GAGNE

MONIQUE MACDONALD

Finance

TABL E

Food

PAULINE MELNYK Leadership

C ON T E N T S

04 RANCHELLE IN THE RAW HEARTLAND 06 DATE WITH DANIELLE WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO TALK ABOUT? 08 BUSINESS 11 WAYS TO SPEED UP YOUR WINDOWS COMPUTER 12 SPIRITUALITY CHRISTIANITY AND THE UNIVERSAL LAWS ARE ALIGNED 16 RELATIONSHIPS SHIFTING YOUR RELATIONSHIP RESULTS 18 PERSONAL GROWTH MEASURE YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT YARDSTICK 20 HEALTH + WELLNESS YOUR HEALTH MATTERS 24 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THE ART AND SCIENCE OF RESILIENCY 26 FINANCE CLARITY IN THE CHAOS 28 FOOD GOODNESS GREENS 34 YOUNG ENTREPENEUR POSITIVELY POSITIVE 36 SHARP WOMAN FEATURE 11 YEARS A CIVIL SERVANT 42 LEADERSHIP CHANGE, LEADERSHIP & COVID 44 NON-PROFIT VOLUNTEER STRATHCONA COUNTY

Our Contributors

Guest Contributors

GRACE WONG

DANIELLE KLOOSTER editor in chief

RANCHELLE VAN BRYCE chief executive officer

KELSEY EVANS administrative coordinator

STEVEN SCHWARTZ director of design

CARLA HOWATT Heartland Editor

RACHELLE SCRASE director of photography

f ro m t h e CEO

Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s no one’s fault. I am 100 percent responsible for how I feel and how I show up in the world. I’m 100 percent responsible for my behavior and any change or transformation that happens with me. But I found that being at conferences, training, seminars and the use of social media put me in a constant state of comparison. So, my dream was to create an event that was an experience for people that would be talked about for months after, not only because of the content, but because of the way that women felt. I’m happy to share with you that our very first SHARP Women event did that, and so much more. We were able to create an EXPERIENCE. While we were planning the sharp women event. I approached Danielle with an idea of a magazine. I’m not sure if you’ve heard our story before but it took a couple of times to get Danielle to even consider doing an event. When I approached her with the magazine, we had just started planning the event. I thought to myself, “whew she is totally going to kick me out of her office” (this is said with a huge smile on my face; you see the running joke between her and I is that I have six ideas by lunchtime) . She did look at me like I was a little off my rocker. However, once I shared the vision of the magazine. She understood my desire. The original idea of the magazine was different from the current magazine. And thank goodness for that. You see I believe everything happens for a reason. When the pandemic hit us in March. We were just planning our print magazine. We knew that we needed to pivot and what we thought we were going to create, we were not. So, we sat down and asked ourselves, what else is possible. This is something I ask myself with every challenge and obstacle I face. When we revisited the intention behind the event and thought, wouldn’t it be cool if we could create this same experience in a magazine? and so we moved towards creating an EXPERIENTIAL digital magazine. Our very first issue of the SHARP women’s central Alberta magazine was just that. It was looking at all aspects of our life and sharing stories about the trials and tribulations and successes. It has this essence and flavor of ‘you are enough right here and right now and it’s okay to desire more.’ The concept of Ranchelle In the Raw column was my desire to show up, fully exposed, fully vulnerable and dare I say naked, to the world. My time with you is to let you know that in our imperfection, there is perfection. To share with you my heartache, mistakes, success and the journey from there to here. I believe that the universe is conspiring to help me, and you, live the life we desire. I realized a few years ago that I could not, actually, DID NOT, want to separate my spirituality from my business any longer.

I have such a passion for sales and marketing. As a business coach and consultant one of my superpowers, is what I refer to as my opportunity to be an intuitive business strategist. What does this mean? For anyone who’s ever been to a channeler, a medium, a psychic or any other things that may be considered ‘woo-hoo’, what I do is I channel business ideas. I am guided on a daily basis by ideas to share with my clients for their business. I’m guided to ask the questions that help them overcome their limiting beliefs. And that guidance is not an intellectual, knowing, or understanding, but rather my connection to divine, my connection to spirit. I no longer apologize for being a spiritual business coach. I no longer apologize for desiring more for myself or wanting to have impact and influence and help women create wealth. The secret I stopped telling people, many, many years ago was this: I wanted to build an empire. I was told by very loving parents to not dream so big, that I was a good starter but not a good finisher, that I was great at sales but not good with staff. I was told to be careful, for safety and security reasons. My parents love me very much. And because of their limiting beliefs they wanted to protect me. Part of my desire for this column is for you dreamers. for those of you who, like me are happy, have joy in their life, have peace and serenity. And yet, at the same time, are dissatisfied with their current situation and who have been told to be small, put a lid on it, don’t dream so big, don’t be authentic, don’t overshare, don’t, don’t don’t. I have spent most of my adult life trying to be something I am not. I have spent most of my adult life trying to fit in, so that people like me, approve of me; so that you might think I’m cool. Part of that was my desire to be the cool kid in school - which I never was - part of it is the belief that if you like me you will want to work with me. The TRUTH is that this limiting belief sets me up for failure. One of my mentors showed me that people didn’t need to like me in order for them to desire to work with me. I gotta tell you, that blew me away when I experienced this myself. Because one of the lies that I have been told in sales, is that people have to know you, like you, and trust you. But that’s only a partial truth. That statement, alone, limits so many women. Like me, they grew up with the feeling of not being enough, not being smart enough, not being pretty enough, not being fit enough. Not being insert whatever limiting belief you hear. Enough. I have to share with you. You’re not alone. And the truth is, so many women feel this way. And the sad truth is, no one talks about it. So for me, Ranchelle in the Raw is my opportunity to talk about the things that no one wants to talk about, to expose myself, to share my feelings, to be vulnerable in public. This was the most difficult thing for me to do when this column started. And I am so grateful it happened. Because you see, it’s okay if you don’t like me. What’s important to me is to speak my truth in hopes that you will speak your TRUTH and the most incredible thing is that my TRUTH might not be your TRUTH. And that’s okay.

da t e w i t h da ni el l e

As cofounder of Sharp Women, I’m pretty passionate about our mandate and message. Talking about how we, as women, can live our lives on point is something I am always discussing. Why? Because it is not just the journey on which I hope and believe all women want to be on; it’s also my own journey. So, let’s say that as girlfriends, we set up a wine date. You can have tea or another beverage of your choice, of course, but the chances are high that, for me, it will be a glass of red. What would we talk about? Well, I think you see where this is going. Yes, we would talk about your life and mine. We would catch up on all the latest happenings. And, although I am a recovering politician, my social conversations are still frequently peppered with political and social commentary. So, all of those things would be on the table. But, inevitably, we would end up talking about where we’re at in our personal journeys.

Where you at? Being vulnerable is really important to me, and I am intentional when I share.

Sure, a person needs to earn the right to hear some of the really deep details of my story, and I am not one of those “I have no filter or boundaries” sharers. But, for me, living my life on point means that I am not in a relationship to put up a façade of perfection and only show the highlight reel of my life. I want connection. Real connection. The best way I know how to foster meaningful connections is to share stories of what I am learning about myself, where I struggle, and the “growing pains” of becoming my best self. I want to be in relationship with people who are willing to employ that kind of courage as well, for the sake of relationship and connection. If we were on a wine or coffee date, I would want to know where you are at in your journey. What kind of life are you creating? What are your dreams, your passions, your hopes and wishes? Where are you struggling or confused? Where is your pain? I’ll tell you my stories and you tell me yours. We’ll connect.

Me, Too I know that the #metoo movement is all about women identifying that they have been subjected to sexual harassment and assault, but, for me, there is another, equally important element to “me, too”. So often, we come to believe that we are the only one struggling with something; we are alone. Sharing vulnerable stories offers us the opportunity to find out that it’s not true. I’ll tell you a story (with permission). My business partner in Your Life on Point and Sharp Women, Ranchelle Van Bryce (you’ll meet her in the pages of this magazine), came to me a few years ago, before we had a business partnership or had even dreamed about this movement. I was running a business incubator and she was one of the coaches we utilized. She came to me to “confess” that she had been struggling with hustling for her selfworth and had been hiding in the emotional closet, and that had meant she hadn’t shown up as her best self. She took responsibility for her shortcomings and shared with me the mindset struggles she had been experiencing that had led to the behaviours. When she told me how she was feeling and thinking, telling herself stories about “not ______ enough” (smart, good, competent – fill in the blank), my response was, “But, Ranchelle – me too.” I, too, struggle with thoughts of not being enough, or sometimes, of being “too much”. Up to that point, she had been feeling like she was alone in her struggle, that everyone else had their poop in a scoop and it was only her who couldn’t get it together. It took a great deal of courage for her to share with vulnerability. When she understood that she was not alone, that I felt the same way much of the time, it gave her permission to change her story. And, moreover, it made her wonder how many other women were out there, believing they are not enough, and that they are alone. A year later, she brought to me the idea for an event for women. We created The Sharp Event, from which Sharp Women was born, and – voila! Here we are today. My “me, too” opened a door for Ranchelle, and opened a door for me. We connected on a whole new level, and now we have a

passion to invite other women to bring your “me, too” into this powerful place of connection and growth.

Give it a Try As a former politician and public figure, I understand how risky it can feel to be open and vulnerable. Yes, there are those who will judge and perhaps even try to use your vulnerable stories to hurt you. The hard truth is this: if you are going to be open to receive love, you are going to be vulnerable to receive pain. I think love and connection are worth the risk. Not just from a human standpoint, either. If I had not chosen vulnerability with Ranchelle that day, Sharp Women may not even exist. That’s pretty compelling.

bus i n e s s

11 ways to speed up your windows computer BY GRACE WONG

Nothing impedes the speed of a business like a slow PC. Your Windows computer can be old but still fast. Aging shouldn’t make it slow down. If that happens, whether it becomes slower than usual or keeps stopping at times, there is a reason. Here are tips you can apply to increase the speed of your computer.

Close resource consuming applications. When our computers start to slow down, it is generally because there is something using up the CPU resources or precious disk space. Then, when other applications try to use or save data to the disk, the PC slows down.

You can find these applications by right-clicking your taskbar and then selecting “Start Task Manager. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+Shift+Escape to open the task manager, and select ‘End Process’ to close all. To sort the applications by how much resources each one is using, click CPU - Memory - Disk to sort the list by the applications using the most resources. You may want to close the individual applications that are resource hogs. To do this, right-click the application in the list and select the option for ending the process. In Windows 8/8.1/10, the new Task Manager has an upgraded user interface, which uses many resources to color-code applications.

Uninstall apps you have no use for. Your PC may have come with some bloatware or apps you had previously installed but no longer use. To uninstall such apps, go to Control Panel - Programs - Uninstall a program. Uninstall any applications you won’t be needing.

Disable unwanted startup programs. Some programs have been made to start automatically during start up. They’re designed to open in the background so that when you click on them, they open right away. This is great for programs you use regularly, but for others, it simply becomes a waste of resources and slows your PC down, which affects the time it takes to start. Decide what programs you want to run at startup. Any programs that run during startup are usually found in the system tray on the taskbar (bottom right corner, by the clock), so, check there for programs you want to stop from running automatically. The notification area may not show you all the applications that run as it is starting. To find out exactly what is running during start up in Windows 7, press the START button and type MSCONFIG in the search bar. Go to the Startup tab and disable any apps you don’t want to run at startup. In Windows 8/8.1/10, right-click on the taskbar and open the Task Manager. Go to the Startup tab and disable any apps you don’t want automatically running. This version is more robust than Windows 7, as it tells you the startup impact of the apps in question. Decide what programs you want to run at startup.

Defragment your hard disk. Fragmentation gives your hard disk extra workload, which slows down your computer’s speed. You can rearrange fragmented data with the default Disk Defragmenter tool or you can schedule a defragmentation time for manual defragmentation (although in modern Windows versions, mechanical drives are defragmented automatically in the background so you do not need to defragment your hard disk manually unless you choose to).

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Free up your hard disk. If there are unnecessary files on your computer, they are taking up hard drive space and slowing down your computer. By doing a disk cleanup, you can empty the recycle bin, remove temporary system files and other items that you no longer need.

You don’t need any third-party software to do a disk cleanup – the default Disk Cleanup tool can do this for you. It can be accessed by going to Computer - right-click on the C: drive - Properties - Disk Cleanup. Then choose what you want to remove - Clean up system files.

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Don’t run too many programs at once. If you like to run different applications at the same time and open so many tabs and windows on your browser at once, would you be surprised if your computer slows down or comes to a halt?

If you find your PC slowing down, you would do well to close applications and browser tabs or windows which you are not currently using. Practice using only a few apps and browser tabs at a time. Remove add-ons you don’t need in your browser. Avoid leaving many email messages open at once; it uses up space. Run only one antivirus program - doing otherwise can slow your computer down. Action Center in Windows 10 lets you know when you’re running more than one antivirus and can help fix the problem.

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Power Settings. Minimizing performance is good for saving electricity but not so good for computer speed. However, maximizing the system performance can boost your computing. If you care about this option, go to Control Panel  System and Security - Power Options - Create a power option - High Performance.

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Restart your computer regularly. If, like me, you use your computer all the time, restarting your computer at least once a week is a good way to clean up the memory so that speed can be maintained. It shuts down every application running on your PC - not just those running in the taskbar but also those running in the background.

Whenever your computer suddenly develops a problem, restarting it can help fix it. Restarting saves you more time than manually troubleshooting. It can also solve strange performance problems when it is difficult to figure the problem out.

Add more RAM and/or an SSD to your PC. This discussion wouldn’t be complete if I don’t mention this point. If your computer seems too slow, it could be due to inadequate RAM. To speed it up, add more RAM, at least 3GB. Swapping a physical hard drive with a Solid State Drive (SSD) can also work wonders to speed up any computer.

Virus and spyware. Though not common as conventional wisdom dictates, virus and spyware could be the reason your computer is slowing down. Use a good antivirus or antispyware program to check your computer for such problems. You can use the default Windows Defender or other third-party programs.

Reinstalling Windows. If you have tried all the other methods of speeding up your computer and you are not impressed by the results, try reinstalling Windows. Yes, my eleventh tip is to turn it off and back on again.

So there you have it, my top eleven tips for speeding up your computer, and as a result, increasing your efficien-

With 23-years-experience in computer and mobile device repairs, Grace Wong has owned Apex Computer & Mobile Repairs for five years. She lives and works in Sherwood Park with her husband and 16-year-old son who she adores to the moon and back.

spi r i t u a l i ty

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Okay, so, if you are a professing Christian, the headline of this column may have made you twitchy. I get it, believe me. I am the daughter of a Pentecostal minister, and the old saying, “She cut her teeth on the church pew” is literally true of me (don’t tell my parents – they never figured out how those marks in the wood got there!). I was raised to believe that any religious/spiritual belief outside of the framework of evangelical Christianity was patently wrong, that there is one path to God and heaven, and that any other teaching or belief was/is pretty much heresy and should be rejected. I know plenty of Christians who do not have this lens – just sharing the one I grew up in – but, regardless, if you are a Christian, you might find yourself meeting all the talk of the Law of Attraction and other Universal Laws with some resistance.

My Spiritual Journey You’ll have to watch for my book to come out – which is still all inside my head at this point – to get the full story of my journey of faith. Suffice to say, though, that I have been eyeballs deep in the church for most of my life. I’ve been a worship leader, soloist, choir director, youth leader, Sunday School teacher, secretary and even janitor over the years. Overall, I’m deeply grateful for the healing, relationships and growth that I found and experienced in the church. When the movie The Secret came out in 2006, it elicited, commonly, one of three reactions: • Those who loved it and bought into it • Those who thought “meh” and ignored it • Those who got angry and decried it Personally, I teetered between reactions #2 and 3. I objected to the notion of God as a “piggybank”, for one thing, and I could point to a lot of people across the world for whom all the wishing and magical thinking in the world wouldn’t keep from starving to death. My conclusion was that it was “not for me”.

What Else is Possible? But then I noticed something that got me wondering. First of all, a lot of the Law of Attraction talk sounds a lot like the messages of faith we are taught in the Christian church, all of which are backed by scripture. Secondly, there are a lot of Christian leaders who understand and practice and teach the Universal Laws (there are seven). Thirdly, I saw it actually being demonstrated. People asked The Universe (God, Divine, Creator, Spirit) for something, believed they could have it, and then receive it. Wild, right? I thought, how can this be true? I came to realize that the story I had accepted and the story I was living in actually put God in a box. He is much bigger than my story of Him. I asked myself, what else is possible? Well, I do know that God is a creator. I know and believe that He designed and created universes far vaster than the human mind can fathom, but He also designed and created the flower, the sparrow, the seed… everything right down to the quark. In His wisdom, he designed and created everything in systems and principles. My body is a system. The seasons are a system. The law of gravity, music, math, physics, chemistry – systems! What if the Universal Laws are actually Spiritual Laws – systems, principles – that God designed and created to support all of creation to flourish and live abundantly? What if it’s just that we (I) haven’t understood that?

More Life I’ve heard it said that we begin dying the moment we’re born; now, that’s a super cheery thought, right? Ugh. Am I really here just to suffer? Was I really put on this earth to lose, hurt, grieve and fall into misery? No. Hard, emphatic no. Look at nature. All of nature strains for more life. The flower seeks to become the most perfect, beautiful flower that it can become. Trees in the forest reach through the thick brush for strands of sun so they can grow taller, go higher, be bigger. More life.

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No created thing naturally wants to be less; it is not natural to want less. Believing and living in that story is something unique to humankind, programmed or beaten into our psyche, sometimes by the well-meaning folks who want us to be safe, sometimes by those who want to oppress us, and sometimes by those who want to manipulate and control us. We are not meant to be small and to suffer. We are made to experience abundant living to its fullest.

Life is for more life. Your potential, your hopes and dreams, the things you want, were not put in your heart as a cruel joke. You have the lifelong desires you have because those things are meant for you. You are meant to be, have and do those things. The good news is: you can!

God's Law of Attraction You might be thinking that all that sounds nice, and you can even get on board with everything I just said, but what does it have to do with the Universal Laws and, in particular, the Law of Attraction? Here’s the deal: thoughts become things. What we focus on is magnified in our life. We go in the direction of our thoughts. Just a few scriptures that support this assertion include Proverbs 18:21, Proverbs 23:7, Mark 11:23, and Matthew 21:22. This is not a comprehensive list by any means, but all you really have to do is look at Jesus’ three years of ministry and consider what he was modeling – speaking a word and having it come to pass – to know that there is biblical merit in the statement that we have the power to create with our thoughts and words. And that, my friends, in a nutshell, is the Law of Attraction. But, but, but… is that what it Is it really means? I can focus on good things and then good things will come into my life? Really? And is that okay with God, and not hocus pocus, for me to want more? To ask for more? To allow myself to have desires and believe that my desires will come to pass? Short answer: yep.

Here’s a list (again, not comprehensive) of scriptures for you to consider: Jeremiah 33:3 Proverbs 3:5,6 Jeremiah 29:11 Philippians 4:8 Matthew 16:19 Mark 11:22-24 Ephesians 3:20

Surrender and Trust Look, I’m not a bible scholar, and I always say that there are millions of people smarter than me who have gone to school for decades to learn about this stuff, who all came out with different ideas and answers. Here’s what I, for myself, know about God and faith. God Loves me. He is good. He is for me. He wants, always and only, good for me. I can trust Him. I am discovering more and more about these truths as I seek and search, but I would never purport to be any kind of expert on the Universal Laws or on scripture. What I can tell you is that, as I have opened my heart, surrendered and trusted more fully to the God of my understanding, and put the principles of the Universal Laws into practice in my own life, the transformation has been truly astounding. If you are a Christian and the Universal Laws have been a sore spot for you, I ask you this: Seek for yourself. Search for yourself. Be curious. Consider that the language might be different, but the truths might be the same.

Danielle Klooster is an author, business coach, strategist and trainer, and a recovering politician. She is the cofounder of Sharp Women.

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PA G E T I TL E

Relationships are such a fundamental part of our experience in this life journey. At their best they can be uplifting, inspiring, deeply supportive, and provide a safe space for us to show up as we fully are; perfectly imperfect as we navigate this life journey as spiritual beings having a human experience. It’s in a relationship we can choose to excavate the deepest recesses of our internal limiting belief systems and core wounds. These things show up differently when we’re doing the work on our own as opposed to when we’re in the thick of it in a relationship. It’s in a relationship that even deeper levels of healing and growth are available to us as we are fully seen and accepted for who we are, warts and all. And it’s in a relationship where we can learn that the world is a safe place, responsive to our wants and needs. Or not. At the worst of it, we can buy into our self-limiting belief systems and subconsciously choose relationships that erode our sense of self or re-affirm the worst that we think of ourselves; that we are unworthy, unlovable, damaged, or otherwise flawed or not deserving of basic human respect or all that we truly desire. We can find ourselves putting up with things because we think we somehow deserve them but that we would never wish on another person. I can remember a time when I didn’t realize that my subconscious limiting beliefs about how I deserved to be treated were driving the bus. I thought that once I was in a relationship, I needed to make the best of it. To be honest, for a long time I didn’t even really know what I wanted so of course, it was pretty much impossible to find or create it. It wasn’t until I started taking a good look at my relationship results and tuning into what was important to me, that I started to understand what I wanted. Today, I want to offer you some concrete tools and strategies you can use right away to start to shift your relationship results. I often use these with my clients. These steps are the same for any kind of relationship, personal, professional, business so you can go through them from an inclusive perspective or focus on one area of your life.

Next month, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll share how I manifested my beloved (together 15 years and married 7) using this process and share the next steps for you to take!

For the past 25 years, Katherine has been researching, studying, and implementing transformational success principles. This has given her the insight and ability to achieve many of her dreams, both personally and professionally while helping others do the same. In addition to an M.Ed. in Counselling, Katherine is a certified transformational life coach and NLP practitioner, has experience in the business, education, and not-for-profit sectors, has served in a wide variety of leadership roles, and is the Chair of her local Women in Business group.

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pe r s on a l growth

IF YOU DO ONE THING FOR YOURSELF this year, create a being statement. Yeah, Yeah, I know. What the heck is a being statement and why do I need one? But first, a little background. When I first decided to bring Sharp Women to the Heartland area, I was pretty sure I had my head on straight and a clear vision of where I was going. And I did. Sort of. As part of my training to begin the second chapter of Sharp Women in Alberta, I went into a coaching class with one of it’s founders, Danielle Klooster. I’ve been through coaching before and found it very useful, so I was excited to get started.

do with them and what I felt I was put here to do. Heavy on the ‘do.’ Danielle soon set me straight. We were to create a being statement, not a doing statement. If I was the only one left alive in the world, who would I be? I have to confess I was a bit stumped. It was then that I started realizing how much I define myself in relation to other people. But if no one else was involved, who was I? It took a while to work through it and wrap my brain around the idea. Even now, I’m not 100 per cent sure I have it all figured out. But even if it isn’t written in stone just yet, it has already come in handy.

To show you how, I need to share with you my being statement. One of the things that Danielle had us do was to write our being statement. I’m a bit of a keener so I got right My driving force is to leave this world a better place. I to it. I explained what my skills were, what I wanted to do with them and what I felt I was put here to do. Heavy do this by creatively expressing myself from a place of peace and joy, and a belief in abundance.

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It was now time to hold up my being statement as a yardstick. What did it say about me? Does the money I spend or have spent on things reflect the values that are in that statement? Well, let’s see. I have spent money on many trips (Thailand, Cambodia, Kenya, Greece, Egypt etc.) during which I helped people by building medical clinics, helping children in Cambodia etc. I think that speaks to the first part of my being statement where it says I want to leave the world a better place. Anyone who knows me will tell you my house is my place of peace and I have done a lot of work and maintenance to the home I have owned for the past 20 years. I did all the landscaping, re-built two decks, replaced a water heater and all the flooring. I also completed the basement. I tend to make decisions on my career based on whether I think the work is meaningful (leaving the world a better place) and in the past that has meant taking a lower salary. So how has having this statement helped me? I am also generous with monetary donation and investing The first time was when I found myself in a situation where in people, which speaks to my belief in abundance. I had committed to a task that I was now regretting. I was uncomfortable but I wasn’t sure why. I thought about it SO. and realized that although I had the time to do it, I just Am I a failure with money because I have spent accordfound it agitated me in a negative way. ing to what is important to me, and in alignment with my I took a look at my being statement and thought about values? why I had included the word peace. The word peace is one of the important words in my being statement be- Or am I a failure because I haven’t handled my money in cause it is important to me. The work I had committed to a way that everyone else says is the ‘best,’ and ‘smartest’ wasn’t peaceful. It was clear that I wasn’t doing what I was way? Is saving for retirement and putting money away the meant to do at a very basic level. There was no humming only yardstick to use? I would like to make the radical sugand hawing and wondering if I should just get over it and gestion that it isn’t. move forward. Nope, no way. I was clear about what I wanted in my life and just as importantly, what I didn’t These are just two examples of how my being statement has made a difference in a very short period of time. I’m want. excited for the future to see how many other insights I My being statement has helped me articulate what is have as I continue to learn about myself and who I am. most important to me. When situations arise where I think I should be okay doing something, I can look at that statement and realize it just isn’t a good fit. It might be just fine for someone else, but not me. Another situation was when I was feeling guilty about money. Like many people, I have issues of shame around money. Where does my shame come from? I started out by asking myself some questions about the stories I have been telling myself. What story am I telling myself? I am not good with money.

Chapter Lead for Sharp Women, Heartland, Carla Howatt is a communications professional with more than 20 years experience. Currently, she owns a publishing company and she is also an author and a recovering politician.

Is it true? What proof do you have? I don’t have enough money to retire and I should at this point in my life.

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h e a l t h & wel l ness

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We have turned the calendar page to January 2021. Now is the perfect time to direct our intentions toward renewal through healthy self-care priorities and sustainable wellness practices. Let’s journey with intention. As a yoga teacher, I notice when my students who shift from a destination focus to one of appreciating their journey. They practice with intention; they value their progress, growth and discoveries along the way. Our bodies, minds and spirits require daily restorative time. When I became a yoga teacher, I was fascinated how the body, mind and the breath interconnect and calm. It became my mission to guide people into deep relaxation for restorative healing.

COVID SPEED The Covid-19 pandemic brought many of us from a 100 MPH lifestyle to a crawl. Forced to recalibrate, many have discovered the joy of a less hectic pace. Slo-mo is still movement, but more mindful. We have developed our resiliency muscles and ignited and expressed compassion to ourselves and our communities. My yoga teaching world moved online, and I had to master new technologies I had little interest in! Tech savvy folks patiently coached me, and I am grateful for this learning. The support of this team reminded me how much human connection there is while we engage via screens. I am grateful I could shift from studio to screen and still offer people the opportunity to come back to their breath, quiet their frenzied minds, stretch and strengthen their tense bodies. Can you imagine how the wise old first teachers would respond to a “Zoom” Hatha Yoga Class? Some of my students were thrilled to have no winter or evening driving hassles. What I appreciated was the yoga students’ response to the calming and de-stressing aspects of a slow, mindful practice. They felt better and coped better and thus they could better support others around them. The pandemic reminded us how individual self-care impacts the larger community.

HEALTHY MOVEMENT Are you still walking around the block every day? Since the springtime lockdown, the trails and walkways have been filled with people wearing sneakers, skates or cross-country skis. We’ve re-discovered our backyards and neighbourhoods and rekindled our connection with nature through the shifting of the seasons. We were moving before we were born and are built to move. Your mother was right: go play outside. Having an activity that is engaging and safe for your joints is one of the keys to good health. May you find some that bring you joy and the healthy results you seek. Whether we are reviewing Canada’s Food Guide, counting steps everyday, or searching a symptom online, our health is a daily concern. Some basic aspects are clearly intuitive such as eating a varied, moderate diet, doing physical activities that engage us, reducing our stress levels and getting enough rest and sleep.

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In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. By 1986, the WHO expanded their definition: Health is a positive concept emphasizing the social and personal resources as well as the physical capacities.

CONFUSING INFORMATION Then we have the health facts that confuse us. Since March 2020 it seems we’ve needed a PhD in Health and Wellness to navigate the turbulent Covid-19 era. The wave of public health information has a shadow. We are swarmed with clickbait misinformation posing as medical data. It remains a Herculean effort to daily sift the gold from the dross. Safeguarding our mental health relies on our critical thinking and establishing boundaries. Be intentional about analyzing the news and limiting the amount of screen time consumed on social media. When I had cancer in 2006, I became vigilant about my diet and how much news I absorbed. This helped me regain a sense of control when a life-threatening disease shattered my life. “Increase the good, decrease the bad things within my control” was my intention and mantra. Recently, as the Covid shock faded and new routines became normal, many people directed their attention in new directions. Closets and cupboards were purged. Jigsaw puzzles and sour dough bread occupied our hands as we revived our neglected passions. Others explored new ways to express themselves. One pal built a garden on their home’s roof, another wrote and illustrated a dream novel—healthy adaptive choices with purpose and self expression that made our world a better place. We survived 2020! Bravo. May our resilience continue to grow as we make healthy decisions that nurture us and our community. Consider the Lotus, how it blooms at home in the muddy waters. May you be healthy and well.

Sharon McMullan- Baron is an educator, cancer survivor, literary and textiles artist, and volunteer. She shares her positive light and energy with her family, friends and community. Namaste.

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pro f e s s i o na l growth

The Art and Science of Resiliency BY DESIREE STEWART

I think all of us, as of late, have heard that we need to be resilient. But really, what does that mean? The Oxford Dictionary defines resilience as “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness”. We’ve seen many stories of how resilient people have been in the face of adversity. Let’s consider how we can be resilient professionally. A part of resiliency is being prepared. Prepared to recover? That seems like an oxymoron. Yet we can prepare ourselves during good times to be resilient for when times are challenging. According to Erin Peace, a senior designer at Method, “Resilience and adaptability are often used interchangeably, but their differences are important. While resilience is the ability to recover quickly under stress, adaptability is learning from that stress to create positive change. To be future-ready we need both: a resilient purpose and an adaptable (organization).”

These characteristics may include:

•

Viewing change as a challenge or

opportunity • Commitment

•

Recognition of limits to control

•

Engaging the support of others

•

Close, secure attachment to others

•

Personal or collective goals

•

Self-efficacy

•

Strengthening effect of stress

•

Past successes

•

Realistic sense of control/having

choices

For the purposes of this article, I would like for us to consider this quote while substituting the word person for organization.

•

Sense of humor

•

Action-oriented approach

There are traits that have been found within individuals who are more resilient. According to Conner and Davidson (2003), resilient people have certain characteristics.

•

Patience

•

Tolerance of negative affect

•

Adaptability to change

•

Optimism

• Faith

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Ways we can prepare to recover quickly, includes continual professional and personal development. This includes options such as online classes, meetings with coaches, pursuing professional interests and staying connected to others in your profession. Those with professional designations to uphold need to continue to have yearly education and activity in their profession which could include mentoring, networking events, teaching classes and learning initiatives. Again, not only does this provide the opportunity to renew certification but it provides the ability to be resilient. As a Hiring Manager in Human Resources, I see resiliency within a resume when I see professional development. I look for evidence of an ability to pivot in the workplace under significant change or how, in your entrepreneurship, you were able to change direction with the economic and environmental climate. In the interview process a candidate is asked how they dealt with a difficult situation or a significant time in their career that they solved a problem. The ability to face and conquer challenges is the evidence of resiliency in an individual. The great thing about resiliency is that it can be learned, and it applies to all areas of life. The need for resilience can be thrust upon us in a quick changing environment or can be applied without the pressure of the need to change immediately. “Resilience may also change over time depending on your interactions and the environment around you. The more that is learned about resilience, the more potential there is for integrating these concepts into relevant areas of life.” (Riopel, 2020). Riopel (2018) goes on to say, “In essence, resilience helps you handle stress more positively. Everything in life is about balance. Without the darkness, you would not appreciate the light. Without sadness, you would not appreciate joy. Like the yin and the yang, you need both positive and negative emotions and experiences to appreciate what you have. Life isn’t always going to be easy – but it shouldn’t always be hard. Whatever you resist persists, so learning how to let go and adapt to change and adversity Desiree is a HR professional can really help you move into a new mindset and develop with many years of experience within a diverse portfomore resilience along the way.”

lio of employers and indusLet go of the need to control and work with your natural tries. Desiree completed a curiosity to learn, grow and succeed. Look at your set- Masters of Organizational Psychology in 2017, and is backs as opportunity for growth and maintain a positive currently working on her Masoutlook for your future. Resilience will not only help you ters of Counselling Psycholprofessionally as you look to build your own company or ogy. When not working full join an employer, but it will build success in your personal time and doing her schoollife too. ing she is a mom to three wonderful teenage boys.

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f in an c e

LYNN GAGNE

Lynn of BWize Consulting & Training is a certified professional bookkeeper who spent more than 30 years running different businesses, including owning a professional bookkeeping firm with more than 300 clients over a period of ten years. She built her company around providing tools to small business owners so they can keep more money in their pocket.

Last year, 2020, will forever be branded as the challenging year of the pandemic. Many businesses have taken advantage of the various relief programs, including CERB, CEWS, CEBA, CERS, RRRF, and LEEFF. There seems to be an acronym for everything and not a lot of understanding of the rules that apply. As we move into 2021, Canada Revenue Agency has begun to ask for proof and validity of the money that people have claimed. As many business owners took the relief offered while in panic mode, there wasn’t a lot of thought given to qualifiers or whether or not they actually needed it. A lot of the money taken has already been spent and is no longer available. Best efforts were made to save the business and, for some, now there is no money and no business. It is, indeed, a sad financial and tax situation this year. Bookkeepers and accountants are confused about the rules and how they apply. Ironic, as this is our business! As a business owner, if you are feeling confused, you are certainly not alone. In a situation where money is tight and you may not have the funds to pay some professionals to do your books properly, it is even more important that your books are done! Unfortunately, Canada Revenue Agency isn’t likely to consider the affordability of bookkeeping help as an excuse why your taxes aren’t done. Rather, they’re most likely to quote Division B, Subdivision A, section 6, vii as a reason why you cannot claim your vehicle expenses as presented. (Even an accountant would have to look that one up!)

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When money gets tight, the stress level rises, and we’re prone to make decisions we wouldn’t otherwise make. So, what should a business owner do if they took government relief money during the pandemic? Even if you can’t afford to pay a professional, here are some things you can do: Have a system of organization. There is nothing more expensive than being unorganized. Implement a system of some type that keeps you organized. Get your bookkeeping up to date. Spend some time updating your books, because books that are behind are difficult to get caught up. Details are forgotten, receipts are missed. Additionally, you can incur huge penalties and interest with Canada Revenue Agency if you are behind. If you do work with a professional, remember they aren’t mind readers. They work with what you give them, so the more in order your books are, the more accurate they will be. Payroll and GST money are sacred. This is not an area that you want to make mistakes in or apply the “rob Peter to pay Paul” theory. Incorrectly calculating or spending payroll and GST money can get you into trouble faster than almost anything else. Know what you’re doing and make sure that you are completely up to date. Know what to do if Canada Revenue Agency calls you. As someone who has helped out with a lot of audits, the worst thing you can do is make commitments to Canada Revenue Agency and then not follow through. What will you do if Canada Revenue Agency calls? Handle it yourself? Have someone to help you? Call your accountant? I personally think that if you took money from the government, they will be calling you. Not IF, but WHEN. Avoid the stress altogether and have a plan for what you will do and say when the time comes. Do not present a disorganized state to Canada Revenue Agency. In helping with audits and trust exams in the past, I’ve found that the worst thing you can do is be disorganized in presenting information to Canada Revenue Agency. An audit or trust exam can be very invasive. This is not the time to try to hide truths; this is a time to present the facts in a way which anyone can understand. Plan. How will you pay back the money you have borrowed? What is the long-term plan? What is your budget? How are you pivoting in business? You may want to use the pandemic downtime to re-write your business plan. Doing this can provide amazing clarity and is a great place to generate ideas. If you can’t write your own business plan, you may find that your business is no longer viable, and some serious changes need to be made. A business plan should be a working document for yourself to keep on track of your business.

Take the time to get educated on Canada Revenue Agency “compliance” vs “collections”. This is an important distinction. When money is tight, you are going to want to understand the difference and how it may apply to you. You will have to make decisions about where the money goes and understanding this difference between these two terms can be (literally) the difference between business success and failure. Above all, don’t be discouraged. Tax professionals, legal experts, credit counsellors and other business owners, among others, are all working hard on the impact of the pandemic on businesses and the upcoming tax season. Follow up often with your tax professionals or be on the lookout for credible resources that can help you navigate your way now and in the new year.

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f o od

As a woman completely immersed in all things involving foods and the culinary profession, I had a plethora of subjects to choose from for my very first article for Sharp. The more I thought about it, the more I felt the need to steer away from the annual “after the holidays” diets or “How to use 50 Kilos of Leftover Turkey and Yams to Make Dessert” recipes. I wanted to write about what has been on our collective minds for the last 11 months, healthy eating. I certainly have not been eating right. I’ve been eating well, a lot. Has it been healthy? No. Eating, baking, and cooking have been my main focus. Not that they aren’t during non-pandemic times.

HEALTHY EATING Yet we want and need to stay healthy. We know that eating properly, not dieting – let it be known that I hate dieting - is crucial to one’s health. A need for the proper intake of vitamins is common knowledge. One of my favourite and most recommended source of these vitamins is through fresh produce. I love, love, love greens. Give me a nice crisp salad for lunch and I’m in my glory. I remember when, growing up as a child in Montreal, we only had iceberg lettuce available in the stores. Sometimes creamed spinach disguised as a soufflé would be added as a side dish. That was it. Today, we have a multitude of choices readily available. The difficulty is knowing which vegetables give the greatest bang for our buck. Especially in winter when these are usually expensive and imported.

SUPPORTING LOCAL Also important is how we can support local businesses who are struggling these days. We’re lucky in the Heartland region to have access to fresh greens from local growers, even in the dead of winter. Several grocery store chains such as Save-On Foods and Freson Brothers, as well as small grocers like the Italian Centre Shop (coming soon to Sherwood Park!), and Blush Organics carry as much locally grown greens and vegetables as possible. There are also greenhouses such as Thiel’s Greenhouses and Edmonton’s Prairie Gardens that grow fresh greens year-round.

GREEN BENEFITS What are some of the benefits of eating greens for women’s health? Especially in winter? Dark, leafy greens are rich in fibre, vitamins A, C and K as well as folate, iron and calcium. All things that play an important role in women’s health. Vitamin A’s role in vision and reproduction is quite important. It helps create white blood cells which support our immune system. Some studies even link leafy greens to the prevention of certain cancers. The heart? They most definitely improve that by ensuring blood vessel health. Greens are beneficial in preventing bone loss brought on by age, something all women need to be aware of and prevent.

WHAT ARE THE RECOMMENDED SERVINGS OF LEAFY GREENS? The Canada Food Guide recommends 5 to 7 servings of fruits and vegetables for the average adult. One serving of raw greens is approximatively equal to one cup/250ml. A serving of cooked greens is equal to half a cup/125ml. To get the most benefits of these in your diet, you should eat at least one to two cups of fresh greens per week. Some of the types of leafy greens that can be found in area stores or greenhouses are arugula, various lettuces, broccoli, kale, mustard greens, cabbage, watercress, endive, bok choy, spinach, swiss chard, parsley and cilantro.

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f o od

IN THE KNOW Keeping in mind that the fresher the greens the better their nutritive value, I reached out to Nadine Stielow, owner – grower – operations manager of Thiel’s Greenhouses in Bruderheim to find out what she’s growing during these cold months. Thiel’s started growing greens in 2019. Nadine added leafy greens and herbs to Thiel’s a hydroponics greenhouse to be able offer a variety throughout the year. This year they are offering around 15 greens at one time or another. I asked her why she chose these specific plants.

“I selected all of these varieties based on how effectively I could grow them hydroponically. It was trial and error and I knew that I wanted a large offering of many different products and flavours… I only use biocontrol methods to get rid of any pests which is essentially good bugs hunting the bad ones... They’re sold as a living green with roots on so you can’t get any fresher! Generally, they’re picked and delivered to the customer, in most cases, within 24 hours; full of nutrients and exceptional flavour.” Thiel’s started growing greens in 2019. Nadine added leafy greens and herbs to Thiel’s a hydroponics greenhouse to be able offer a variety throughout the year. This year they are offering around 15 greens at one time or another. I asked her why she chose these specific plants. Nadine loves to include greens in her daily diet. She offers some great suggestions on how to incorporate them in all meals.

“I have a hard time choosing (my favourite ones) because I use all of them for different purposes and eat greens daily in some format; greens in smoothies, on toast, in a stir fry, salad, coleslaw, soups, added to chilli bowls and noodle bowls, the list is endless. Even my one-year-old puppy eats greens! If I have to pick a favourite, then it would be the buttercrunch, arugula and cilantro.”

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You can’t get them any fresher unless you grow them yourself! To incorporate more greens in your diet, start by adding them to your current dishes and recipes. Add them in salads, soups or like Nadine does, in smoothies. Looking after one’s health has never tasted so good. Let’s start 2021 on the right foot and make ourselves our main priority. I’m going to figure out how to incorporate some of those greens into cake. There’s no bounds to creativity! Until then, I will enjoy a delicious salad with some of those new greens added in it. Maybe drizzle some balsamic vinegar and sprinkle pink Himalayan salt on top for good measure. I would love to know how you will incorporate them into your diet. Send me your recipes and I may include a couple in Sharp Women’s next editions. Until next month, take chances and taste the unusual.

Nadine Stielow holding some of her hydroponic greens. PHOTO CREDITS: Ali Macdonald

Monique MacDonald is a local culinary events organizer and food afficionado. She was one of the organizers of the Gluten Free Cravings Festival in Strathcona County, as well as Northern Bites Culinary Tours in Edmonton. She is presently the Culinary Events Coordinator for Silver Skate Festival and curator of its Celebrate Edmonton bags.

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pr i n t a bl e

CORONA BINGO

So, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in a semi-lockdown for at least part of January 2021. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the heart of winter anyway, which brings its own restrictions on activities and so forth, but now we have this extra layer of isolation that could make for a tough month. What to do? Well, why not play Bingo? Here are the rules: 1. Print off the Bingo sheet. When you accomplish a square, write the date on the square. 2. When you get a Bingo, post a photo of it in the Hearthland Sharp Women group on Facebook. We will give you a secret prize! 3. If you keep playing and you get a blackout Bingo, we will give you an even BIGGER secret prize! Fun, right? Print this off and play along.

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p r in tabl e

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y o u n g e ntrepeneur

There are many words that could be used to describe Brenna Bouchard, the young entrepreneur, and owner of Fort Saskatchewan Acupuncture, but the one that would probably come up the most is the word positive. Whether it is her approach to her work or play, Brenna brings with her a positive outlook and approach. She is also very invested in her community, her business, and football.

While Brenna had graduated as a personal trainer in 2011 from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, she knew acupuncture was what she wanted to do. By December of 2017, she was certified and owned her own acupuncture clinic. There was no looking back.

In addition to being the founder of her own acupuncture business, Brenna sits on the Fort Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, spends hours upgrading her knowledge and skills, and playing tackle football at the highest level available for women in the Province.

When asked if it had always been her goal to own her own business, Brenna laughed and said that she was a bit of an accidental entrepreneur. “I like to create an atmosphere around me,” Brenna explains. “I would rather do that than just participate.” She realized if she wanted to create the environment she dreamed of, she would have to do it herself. This led her to build a work environment that was positive for her, the other people who work there, and their clients.

AN ACUPUNCTURE JOURNEY

ADVICE FOR OTHERS

Brenna began her journey with acupuncture after experiencing a sports injury that other healing modalities could not heal. She tried physiotherapy, chiropractic, and a regular doctor before, on the advice of a friend, trying acupuncture. She was blown away. From that point on, there was no turning back.

Now that her business is three years old, what advice would she give someone else who is considering making the jump? Research. Research and research she states emphatically. This research was easy for her as it is part of her nature to ask people questions and find out what they did, why they did it the way they did.

“We need to learn from each other,” Brenna explains. “Pretending everything is okay when it isn’t doesn’t help anyone.” She feels if more owners were open and honest about what they are going through, that they would find support and encouragement from others. They also might find some good advice. Going through it alone robs both the business owner and their peers.

KEEPING THE MISSION IN SIGHT Brenna’s first three years have gone well and she plans on expanding by adding a herbal dispensary this summer. It’s easy to see by her passion for her work and her clients that she has succeeded because she cares. She explains that it’s important when starting out to not obsess about how much money is being made. “Focus on your mission and what you are there to do,” Brenna says. “Focus on care.”

Even if someone was in a different industry, she found she could learn things from their experiences. And of course, she found a lot of valuable resources online. There isn't much that Brenna would do differently because each step brought learning. "You don't know what you don't know until you know," She explains. "Sure., I could have done some things better, but I wouldn't change it." One of the things she has learned about business is that there is a distinct lack of vulnerability and openness amongst business owners. As a member of the Fort Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, she has watched people on the brink of losing their business tell others that things were going just fine and business was good. This attitude of keeping a stiff upper lip makes being a business owner that much more difficult. There isn't much that Brenna would do differently because each step brought learning. "You don't know what you don't know until you know," She explains. "Sure., I could have done some things better, but I wouldn't change it." One of the things she has learned about business is that there is a distinct lack of vulnerability and openness amongst business owners. As a member of the Fort Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, she has watched people on the brink of losing their business tell others that things were going just fine and business was good. This attitude of keeping a stiff upper lip makes being a business owner that much more difficult.

To hear Brenna talk, it would be easy to assume she has it all together, but she admits for the first year or so, she engaged in what she refers to as self-torture. Negative self-talk, comparing herself to other businesses, and worrying about failing plagued her until she realized what was happening and acknowledged it was totally unnecessary and self-defeating. As a result of her experience, she took training for the Subconscious Imprinting Technique (S.I.T) that she also offers at her clinic. The S.I.T is a modality used to access and change how the body perceives and reacts to subconscious thought patterns, having a profound effect on the physical and emotional state. One of the areas this technique can work on is limiting selftalk, feeling stuck, anxious, or overwhelmed. Another area the S.I.T works on is sports mindset and that is something Brenna knows all about. In 2020, Brenna was part of Team Alberta and was going on to compete for a spot on Team Canada for women’s tackle football. While she wasn’t able to go to Finland to compete because of COVID, Brenna is hopeful that 2021 will provide many more opportunities. In addition to being a very positive person, Brenna is also positive about a couple other things. She is positive that women need to keep lifting each other up, bringing their unique gifts to the business world, and remember you don’t have to emulate someone else to be successful; you just need to be yourself.

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sh a r p w o m a n f ea ture

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A mother, a grandmother, a wife, and an advocate. The list of labels you can apply to Gale Katchur is large but the one she is best known for is being the Mayor of Fort Saskatchewan. Born in Fort St. John, British Columbia and raised on a farm close to Spirit River, Alberta, Gale learned about hard work firsthand. These lessons have done her well in her career as a civil servant and as a mother. While she worked for the majority of the time in the government, Gale also took some time off to raise her two children and run a day home.

THE FIRST ELECTION those years, she helped out with, among other things, writing bylaws. In 2007, she realized it was time to move on because she no longer believed in some of the things she had to write. “I went home and told my husband, that’s it, I quit,” Gale recounts. “and he said, why don’t you run for council then?” With only six weeks until the municipal election, Gale decided to take a leap of faith and tossed her name into the ring. After she went on to win a seat as councillor, she resigned her position with administration. She sat for councillor for one term and in 2010 she ran for the position of Mayor. She won that election and the ones in 2013 and 2017.

SECOND WOMAN AS MAYOR As the only second woman to serve as Mayor in the history of Fort Saskatchewan, Gale was aware of her unique position. Even if she wasn’t, there were people who made sure she remembered and as a result, she says the largest barrier she has encountered over the years is convincing people she can do the job. “I had someone ask me, do you think you can really stand up and defend your community, defend your region at this table or should you be appointing someone else?” Gale recalls. “ Those types of comments and attitudes don’t seem to hinder Gale, in fact she uses them as motivation to forge ahead. “I’ve always had to prove myself… you want to be strong and you want to stand up for yourself” Gale explains. “But for me, I’m soft and mushy and I just love people and I don’t want to hold grudges so, I’ll just prove to you that I can do this job and I think I do it really well.”

“…we make great assistants; we make great secretaries, but it has always been really hard to elevate to the management level or to the top levels in politics.” Although she agrees that the barriers are being broken down, she still finds that sometimes the attitude is still there, the attitude that says women just aren’t welcome.

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WHY? Perhaps part of the reason why Gale is able to excel in her position is her love for the job. She loves public service and explains that is why she gets up in the morning; her strong desire to make a difference in her community. She thrives on going to events, giving people a hug and hearing what people have to say. “To me, that is what this has always been about,” Gale says. “It has always been what this is about.” It is about serving her community that leads Gale to believe that a diverse array of people sitting as councillors allows for the best decision-making. Whether it is engineers, farmers, lawyers or housewives, she feels strongly that they all bring a whole new dynamic to what city council is all about.

SELF-TALK & GUILT

INTERESTING BITS

With so much negative talk happening around her, does any of it seep in and affect her? She insists that her skin is thick, and she has not internalized other people’s opinions of her. Where she does struggle sometimes is wanting to spread herself out and do so much. “I want to be a wife, a mother, be out there in public, do my job,” Gale elaborates. “Sometimes you find you don’t know if you have the energy to do it all. But women are powerful people, and we have a lot of energy.” She goes on to explain that sometimes women need some support to handle all the roles they play. When asked if she wrestled with any guilt like some women do, she laughed and explained that she doesn’t have much guilt anymore, at least not like when she was raising her kids. As an empty nester, it gets better.

ADVICE TO WOMEN

Your best piece of technology? iPhone

What two things would you have on a deserted island? Sunblock Lounge Chair

Best movie of all time? National Lampoons Vacation

Favourite singer or band? Amanda Marshall

What advice would she give to a young woman just starting out in her career, whether in politics or not? Well, Gale didn’t hesitate to say that all women, no matter what stage they are at, need to be looking to the future. They need to understand that they are in one point in time but eventually they won’t be, and they should plan for that. If a woman is staying home with her kids, she should be looking forward and maybe taking a course to keep her skills up. Gale feels that always looking forward to what you want next is important.

Another piece of advice for young women is to know their priorities. “It’s about setting your priorities and do what you need to do, don’t let anyone tell you what you need to do – you need to do what you need to do so you feel good here and at night, when you go to bed you say you know what I made the right decisions and I feel good about what I’ve been doing.” Interestingly, that is not the same advice she would give to herself if she looked back twenty or thirty years. To that Gale, she would tell to fight.

“Fight more for the positions you want,” Gale says. “...you don’t have to settle… fight harder for what you believe in and for the career path you want to take. I would also say just remember how strong and powerful you are and when you believe in yourself you can do anything you want, you really can.”

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l e a dershi p

The shutdown of businesses back in March took many people by surprise. None more so than business owners Teresa and Lois. They weren’t sure how to handle it or their staff. The world was uncertain and unstable. Their businesses were at risk and if they weren’t able to weather this storm, it would mean professional and personal disaster. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused change at every level of our life; personal, private and public. If we are to lead others through these changes, it is important that we are aware of how we are handling the change ourselves.

CHANGE AND THE INDIVIDUAL Change for the individual may mean happiness is easily derailed, you’re slipping - paying the price in all or one area of your life - career, wealth, health, relationships. When you consider all the stress and negativity and setbacks it’s hard to stay centred and grounded. At this time, it’s important to remain open to an awareness of your state of being; quiet the mind, and label your thoughts.

CHANGE AND GROUPS At the family, team or group level it’s an opportunity to deepen your listening and collaborate intentionally on shared goals. Get clear about what it means to be in service to each other, aligned in purpose, empowered in direction and momentum. It’s important to communicate needs, advocate for the course of action, create a starting point, change our operating style and clarify roles for each of the member of the group.

CHANGE AND BUSINESS During times of change, it’s important that businesses work together to support each other and the environment. It is a time to do things collectively. Whether it is coming together to lobby a government for resources or sharing updated health policies and procedures, this is not a time to try to exist as an island. When deciding who to work with, give careful consideration to whether, as a group, they are ready. Trying to work through fast changing situation is difficult if you are the only one looking towards the future; many people use time they should be problem solving talking about how hard it is, rather than proactively looking for solutions. If you find yourself in a group like this, you can quickly end up drained or burned out. Protect your individual well-being while working for the collective good.

CHANGE AND VALUES It may seem as though new or different values are emerging; a sense of us versus them, diminished tolerance towards differing opinions or a lack of respect for others when out in public. Often times though, situations like the pandemic bring existing issues to the surface, they don’t emerge spontaneously. It might help to focus on the positive shifting of our values which is also occurring. More people are placing a value on their families, getting back to basics (bread baking anyone?), supporting local, checking on neighbours or adapting and adopting technology.

CHANGE AND PLANNING

PA G E T I TL E

One of the best things you can do, is not to wait and react but proactively plan. How can you plan when you don’t know what is going to happen next? Plan for as much as you can. Ask yourself questions in this format:

If (Action or Situation) then (What you will do.) If the government tells us to lockdown, then I will initiate plan A. If a staff member contracts COVID, then we will implement plan B. If I get sick, then Jane Doe is in charge. By getting ahead of the possibilities, you are more apt to be ready to calmly move forward.

TERESA AND LOIS Back to our business owners Teresa and Lois, they had two different approaches once the province announced they could open up their business again.

TERESA’S BUSINESS Teresa told her staff that they had better learn to comply with all the new health and safety requirements. If they didn’t and it resulted in the shop having to close down in order to clean and isolate, it would be the end of the business. That is, if it wasn’t already too late as things were precarious at best. On an almost daily basis Teresa recited some of the worst news making the rounds. She used this news to hammer home to her staff the importance of wearing their masks, keeping their distance and turning away anyone with COVID-like symptoms.

In Teresa’s situation, she unknowingly used three techniques for change that almost guaranteed her staff would rebel, not listen or only do what she asked when she was around to watch them. She:

•

• •

Created the disturbing belief that the current position is not sustainable - disconfirmation of our status quo - the increasing and alarming rate of COVID spread. Created guilt and anxiety - an emotional response to survival, change and learning. Created instability and a sense that their job and the shop itself was in peril.

LOIS’ BUSINESS When Lois’ business re-opened, she gathered her staff together in a socially distant meeting. She explained that there were new regulations from Alberta Health Services in place and that she would be giving all staff an opportunity to learn what was changing. She then explained that while this was going to be tough, she was doing everything she could to ensure that no one was laid off and that the business survived. In order to do that, she needed their help. She set up weekly staff meetings where they could come together as a group and discuss any concerns with the way things were going and people could share if they had identified any areas where they could improve their safety measures. Can you see why Lois was able to affect change within her staff that was lasting and meaningful? Teresa’s staff felt they had no control of their environment and no say on what was happening. They didn’t know if they were going to be working there next week or if the shop would even be open. Being a leader during a pandemic is not easy but with some careful thought, understanding of how change affects people and proactive measures, you will be effective in leading through this historic time.

Pauline is a strong advocate for changing the behaviours, symbols and systems that create respectful and inclusive workplaces. Her goal is to create balance, wellness and finding a path forward for her clients through mentoring, coaching, issues management, collaboration, communications and professional advice. - Pauline Melnyk CMP CPHR PCC

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n on - pro f i t

VOLUNTEER

strathcona

COUNTY

WE’RE STILL HELPING AFTER 44 YEARS BY JUDY FERGUSON

There isn’t a non-profit in existence that won’t be introducing a report, an update or even a story without saying that 2020 was certainly a year of challenges. We have all had to re-visit how we deliver our programs, how we meet, or simply how we share information when the in-person model was no longer acceptable to ensure our entire community’s health and safety. Indeed March 17, 2020, when the Province declared a public state of health emergency, was a memorable day for all of us, and as we move into 2021, we will find more ways to support our community through this difficult time.

OUR HISTORY Volunteer Strathcona Centre, a supporting organization in Strathcona County since 1976, has seen many changes in the services we have delivered to the community over the years. The one thing that has remained constant is our ability to be flexible and pivot (common buzz word for 2020) as required. We have always demonstrated exceptional effort, leadership and initiative to help ensure that Strathcona County is a community that cares and shares. Many successful programs have come and gone, but supporting volunteers and the organizations that serve the community has always been our priority. Volunteer Strathcona has also been the recognized local driver of an annual National Volunteer Week Celebration. Being held this year from April 19th to 24th, National Volunteer Week is an opportunity for non-profit organizations and community groups alike to thank their volunteers. The upcoming celebration will require organizations to think outside the box to find new ways to recognize their volunteers.

A PIVOTAL YEAR Volunteer Strathcona Centre has experienced a pivotal year. Almost immediately following the public state of emergency declaration, and the potential isolation of many seniors, persons with disabilities and others in need, the staff at Volunteer Strathcona created and began implementing our COVID-19 Emergency Response Project. The call went out – Are you in isolation? And do you require assistance with grocery/prescription delivery? Would you benefit from a phone call, just to have someone check in on how you are doing? Do you need help with walking your pet or help with getting minor yard work done? A second call went out - Are you able to volunteer time to help these folks out?

The response from the community was heartwarming! Through social media, print advertising, and referrals from other groups such as Strathcona Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Family and Community Services, within a very short time Volunteer Strathcona was able to recruit several hundred volunteers; folks just wanting to help. Our volunteers included seniors, retired executives, students, athletes, moms and dads, and many who found themselves temporarily unemployed. Everyone was just looking for a way to help where they could. While many of our volunteers have gone back to work, through the generous contributions of over 200 volunteers, we continue to help. From the end of March to the end of the year, volunteers responded to well over 600 requests for assistance. This assistance translated into 1,500 volunteer trips that included shopping and delivery, pickups from Meals on Wheels in Edmonton and delivery to residents in the County, and delivery of foodbank hampers to residents without transportation.

WORKING TOGETHER As many non-profits see their funding reduced in the coming year, with different levels of government and corporations experiencing their own fiscal challenges, it will be important for non-profit and community organizations to find ways to work together in order to meet the needs of the community they serve. Volunteer recruitment and support is one way that Volunteer Strathcona can help in the County. Just ask Linking Generations, or A Safe Place, how Volunteer Strathcona supported has supported their efforts. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what the future will hold but we do know that as long as we work together and continue to reach out to help when others are in need, our community will be strong.

Judy Ferguson is Executive Director of Volunteer Strathcona Centre, located in Sherwood Park in Strathcona County. To see more of the services the provide in the community, please check out their website at www.volunteerstrathcona.ca or check out their social media posts on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

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