Sharp Women Heartland | March 2021

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COVER CREDITS PHOTO: STEVE RICKETTS MODEL: STACEY LOZINSKI

NOTICE & TERMS OF USE

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SHARPWOMEN

RANCHELLE VAN BRYCE co-founder

DANIELLE KLOOSTER co-founder

TEAM

CARLA HOWATT editor in chief

KELSEY EVANS executive assistant

RACHELLE SCRASE director of photography

THIS MONTH’S

GUEST CONTRIBUTORS

GRACE WONG business

LANA SANTANA non-profit

DEBORRAH HUGHES-GAHR TARA BOOTHBY health & wellness professional development

PAULINE MELNYK leadership

KATHRYN LORANGER relationships

LYNN GAGNE finance

CINDY NEEDHAM personal growth

WANDA ROGERS feature

MONIQUE MACDONALD food

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letter from the editor

Time Marches On MARCH 2021

Well, here we are in March. In the business world, we are finishing off Q1. Those with a green thumb are starting to get restless and bookkeepers and accountants are preparing by putting the coffee pot on.

And me? I’m sitting at my computer up against a deadline.

You see, I’ve been doing what my coach calls “procrastiplanning.” Putting things off by over-planning. It is an art I have perfected.

But there is another reason why I am up against a deadline. Reading the articles the writers submitted for this issue is a pleasure I like to savour. Reading something written by someone who is an expert in their field and discovering their passions and knowledge is something I enjoy immensely.

Whether it is reading Katherine Loranger’s article on relationships, Deb Hugh-Gahr’s on art therapy or Tara Boothby’s explanation of how to align our professional development with character, I don’t think I will ever tire of it. Of course, your preferences in reading material may be different than mine; perhaps you prefer to read and learn more about spirits from Monique MacDonald?

Of course, you could always let Lynn Gagne explain the five ways you can keep your business bookkeeping current or Grace Wong can guide you in your quest for a sparkling clean inbox.

The features in this month’s issue have a bit of a theme to them; Stacey Lozinski who is the March feature Sharp Woman, is the former publisher at the Sherwood Park News and the young entrepreneur Lindsay Morey is the paper’s the current editor. Both women have shown perseverance and courage as they have walked their career and life paths. Read and learn more about their outlook and approach to life!

As always, my wish for you this month is that you find some nuggets of gold in this issue, nuggets that will speak to you and help you live your life to its fullest!

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This Month’s Articles 4 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR MARCH 2021 6 IN THE RAW ROLE PLAYING 8 DATE WITH DANIELLE WRITING A PERSONAL BEING STATEMENT 10 BUSINESS HOW TO STAY ORGANIZED WITH YOUR EMAILS 14 SPIRTUALITY THE HUMAN QUEST 16 RELATIONSHIPS CLOSING THE GAP 18 PERSONAL GROWTH EMBRACING THE STEPS UP THE MOUNTAIN 20 HEALTH & WELLNESS THE JOY IS IN THE DOING 22 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT 24 FINANCE FIVE WAYS TO KEEP YOUR BUSINESS BOOKKEEPING CURRENT 26 FOOD TO YOUR SPIRITUAL SOUL 28 YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR GO WEST YOUNG WOMEN 32 FEATURE A RELATIONSHIP WITH SUCCESS 36 LEADERSHIP LEADERSHIP PRESENCE 38 NON PROFIT VEGREVILLE VISUAL ARTS

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from the CEO

RANCHELLE IN THE RAW Role Playing b y Ra n c h e l l e Va n B r yc e

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Every month I sit at my computer and wonder what part of my soul should I share with you.

Sometimes I ask myself, what the hell was I thinking? I should have said I would write a business article. Afterall, I have built 15 of my own businesses and as a business coach I help women every day do the same thing.

This month was no different, wondering how I could possibly have something important to share with you. And then out of the blue I received a message from someone I knew from Camrose.

She attended one of my monthly free business webinars called How to Become the CEO of Your Life. Part of what I offer is an opportunity to connect in a one-to-one call afterwards. It felt so good to reconnect with her. I left Camrose suddenly in 2016, I didn’t announce it, I left. My marriage had ended, and I knew I needed to leave (that is a whole other Ranchelle in the Raw- LOL). As we were catching up, she said you know, I listen to you while I work out. I play your videos and listen to your podcast. You are my motivation. I print out the magazine and answer the questions that you ask, I do the work. Thank you.

I am often called a rebel, a rule breaker, the one who does what she wants, when she wants. Yes, this is one of the roles I adopted as a child. We all have roles and several of them.

Do you know what yours were and are?

Other roles I played as a kid and beyond; the rescuer, the black sheep, the people pleaser and the chameleon were the major ones. Each one of these comes with rules of engagement. Each one comes with the positive (light) and negative (dark side). The chameleon in me is adaptable, can mesh with any group of people - bikers or lawyers, I can match and mirror their behaviour and build rapport very easily. The dark side of the chameleon - manipulation. Plain and simple That wasn’t an easy role for me to accept. I denied it. Vehemently. I said that I as an influencer (which is also true), charismatic when I need to be (also true). To me, manipulation meant bitch. I didn’t see myself that way. I didn’t want to own it.

Where else am I showing up this way? Because here is what I know, how you do one thing is how you do everything. Then I noticed it when I was doing it to my adult children, and my parents. I also noticed that I didn’t do it with my coaching clients or with Danielle, my business partner.

Interesting, right!!

Here is what I was shown. Whenever I feel like I might not get my own way, or I am too afraid of speaking my truth in a relationship; I turn to manipulation. Whenever I want someone to act a certain way, behave a certain way or BE a certain way and they aren’t if my dark side shows up; this is the woman that shows up.

However, it is a choice. Especially when you become aware.

I can choose to be manipulative, or I can choose what influence might look like. What’s the difference? Influence is me showing up as my best self; asking thoughtful questions and not being attached to the results. Manipulation means; I am attached to the results. I will use my powers to ensure that you see it my way OR at least feel guilt or shame about it.

Can you relate? It’s okay if you can. If you can, congratulations on taking the first step; awareness.

Here is my question for you. What roles did you play in your household as a child? How are you still playing those out today? How do you manipulate the rules around the role? What happens when you show up that way from the ‘dark side’ perspective or the ‘light side’ perspective?

If you want to explore this more; feel free to connect with me.

Ranchelle@SharpWomen.ca

But, what happens when you ask Divine to show you the ways in which you are keeping yourself limited? HE DOES just that. Yup, I called that into my life. Show me the way I am getting stuck in relationships. How do I show up? When do I show up that way? What are the possibilities? What is the TRUTH in this?

These are the questions that I ask myself almost daily. These are the questions that showed me I was trying to manipulate the fuck out of my partner Rob. Insert sigh. And then I had to own it.

All of it.

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a date with danielle

WRITING A PERSONAL BEING STATEMENT

by Danielle Klooster

Judy Garland, an American actress, whose career spanned 1924 – 1969 (she’s Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz), famously said, “Always be a firstrate version of yourself and not a second-rate version of someone else”.

We can all grasp that this means we should stop living inauthentic lives in which we strive to measure up to some societal vision of the ideal woman that is whatever vision of perfection is popular at the time. But really, how can we stop being that if we don’t know what a first-rate, or any-rate, version of ourselves looks like?

Be a Sharp Woman Here at Sharp Women, we often say that you get to decide what it means to be a Sharp Woman.

Why is that important? Wouldn’t our magazines be more helpful if we were offering tips and tricks on how to be better at things like cooking and cleaning and building a career and raising kids and staying – or getting – in shape and keeping our mates happy and… and… and…

The short answer is a resounding NO. There is already an unending stream of periodicals, books, videos, courses, etc. that offer that. We’re over it.

That right there is one big recipe for how to contort yourself into a second-rate version of someone

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else. We want to live free, fulfilling lives as the best version of ourselves. We want to cultivate an environment where women show up as their real selves and where we’re all on a journey to become our truest, best, most authentic selves.

Why? Because it’s exhausting to try and live up to the expectations of others. Because it’s empty and meaningless. Because it’s fake success. We are setting ourselves free by stepping into our true selves.

Sign me up! Where do I start?

If you are ready to let go of killing yourself trying to be someone else and you’re ready to step into your own skin, the place to start is with getting a clear picture of who you are.

1. Figuring out who you really are at your core can be a daunting task. As always, I recommend you have a coach who knows how to walk you through this to help. Nonetheless, here are some basic steps to get you started: 2. Make a list of all your personal attributes and values. What are the tenets of your personality?

What do you stand for? What matters to you greatly? Helpful hints: you can google personal attributes and values and find lists of adjectives. You can also ask *trusted* family

and friends for feedback.

3. Narrow that list down to the top five to seven things that are your most important values and attributes.

4. Write those five to seven things into one or two short sentences.

And then what?

I have my Being Statement written on a sticky note which is pasted on my makeup mirror. Every morning, while I am getting ready, I reflect on who I am and think about what I have planned for the day, and I ask myself: •

In what I have planned today, how do I want to feel?

•

How will I show up today?

This prepares me to operate each day authentically, as me. Throughout the day, as things arise and I have the opportunity to show up in my highest self or play it small – reactionary, fearful, insecure, or fake – I have the opportunity to remind myself of who I am and ask myself, “What does that look like in this moment?”

This has been a game changer for me. I don’t always get there, but every day, I get better. I now have a guidepost and a process for living as a first-rate version of myself.

At yourlifeonpoint.ca, which is the “mother ship” for Sharp Women, we will be posting a downloadable e book that walks you through, in more depth, how to create your very own Being Statement. It’s not there yet, but coming soon, so watch the site and our posts on social media.

And, in the meantime, stay sharp!

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business

HOW TO STAY ORGANIZED WITH YOUR EMAILS

by Grace Wong

It’s that dreaded feeling of turning on your phone or logging into your computer and seeing the inevitable: a full inbox. Emails from colleagues who need answers now, supervisors who need answers yesterday, assorted ads, spam and your friend’s photos from her trip to Las Vegas (well, pre‐ pandemic, in any event).

What can you with this onslaught of incoming email so that it’s not overwhelming? Try these steps to get your inbox organized and keep it that way.

1) Organizing as a daily task.

Make organizing your inbox a part of your routine, like lunch, a coffee break or a daily report to your boss. It’s something you schedule into your day, not something you squeeze in at the last minute. This can be accomplished by: a. Start by purging anything you no longer need.

Delete anything that’s not relevant anymore (as long as you’re sure you won’t need it later). And hit “report spam” on any spam.

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b. Archive emails you’re not ready to delete just yet.

If you’re finished with an email but you’re not sure if you’ll need it later, hit “archive” or move it to an archive folder specifically for that purpose. Chances are pretty good you won’t need it later, but it’ll save you a ton of time searching for stuff if you do. c. Delete newsletters and other “for free reading” emails if they’ve been sitting in your inbox for more than a week.

It’s tempting to hold on to these because the topic interests you, but odds are if you haven’t read it within seven days, you likely won’t. d. Unsubscribe from promotional emails you don’t need or want anymore.

Only subscribe to emails you truly want to see in your inbox everyday. If you’re deleting without reading, maybe it’s time to change your subscription preferences. And if you’ve subscribed to get a 10% off coupon, get the coupon, then unsubscribe. e. If you need to forward an email to someone, do it

aren’t bunging up your inbox or distracting you. c. Create multiple inboxes to further prioritize your emails.

Create inboxes for tasks that – for example – can be done immediately, need follow up or can wait until later.

3) Keep those files clean and tidy.

Schedule a weekly or monthly review of those files and eliminate those that are no longer useful. This is very similar to moving paperwork from one paper tray to another to consolidate them. a. Keep things from piling up by checking your email throughout the day. Use your downtime to your advantage – it’s the perfect time to check your email. b. If you’d rather not be the type that’s attached to your inbox at the hip, set up a designated time, or a few designated times, to check your email each day. c. Immediately respond to anything requiring only a minute of your time; if you want to take things a little more seriously, try the OHIO method – Only Handle It Once.

Use the one-minute rule – if something takes a minute or less to accomplish, try doing it right away rather than waiting until later. Using the OHIO method means reading an email, right away, then delete it! There’s no need to keep it in your inbox when it’s not your responsibility.

2) Commit to a filing system that’s flexible.

Your online filing system should consist of folders you create within your email system.

Think of it this way: you have a filing cabinet with all your important papers, with labelled hanging files. Now think of your email in the same manner. Whatever you choose to do, it should be able to grow with your needs. a. Set up as many folders as you need.

Everyone’s inbox patterns differ, based on who they are and what they do. Someone who works out of the home and travels frequently is going to have different needs than a home based business working out of their basement.

Personally speaking, this is what my folders looks like and no, it’s by no means perfect. b. Set up filters, so emails go straight to the folder they belong in.

Filter things so they automatically go to the appropriate folder – or to the trash – so they

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digesting it’s contents, figuring out how to handle it and then handling it immediately.

It can save you time by keeping you from forgetting stuff or wasting time re-reading emails. d. Flag things you can’t get around to right away and set up a system for eventually handling them.

This generally means starring the emails in your inbox so it catches your attention later on.

It’ll serve as a reminder that something needs to be dealt with. e. Try to respond to business emails within 24 hours and emails from family and friends within 72 hours.

It can be tempting to ignore emails when you are swamped, but if you can’t respond in a meaningful fashion within the time frame you’ve set for yourself, maybe it’s better to fire off an email along the lines of, “I’m sorry I can’t deal with this right now, but I promise I’ll give it my full attention next week/month/ whenever.”

4) Friends don’t let friends have their work email addresses.

As much as you might love seeing the latest cute baby pictures from your BFF, don’t give her your work email. Doing so links her email with yours and suddenly you’ll find your inbox filled with diaper coupons and breastfeeding articles.

5) Deal with your inbox first thing and last thing of the day.

While in an ideal world, you’ll be checking your email at certain junctures of the day, emptying your inbox as your first order of business and the last task of the day should be a minimum. It clears the path for the day’s activities, helps prepare a to‐do list for tomorrow and provides a sense of accomplishment at both ends of the day.

All these things said, obsessing about keeping your inbox at zero daily can be a time and energy drain.

Just keep up with organizational habits that you can create that are sustainable and don’t worry too much about it. Remember, the point of keeping your inbox organized is to save time by making things easier to find and stay on top of. Hopefully, these simple tips will help in this regard.

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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-yearold son who she adores to the moon and back.

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spirituality

THE HUMAN QUEST by

Lana Santana

In this era, spirituality is now the main focus for many self-aware people. With the Covid pandemic threatening our friends and families, the meaning of living and how we live, what is important and what is not, and most significantly, finding that divinity inside ourselves have taken front seat for many people.

Spiritual enlightenment has become an evergrowing topic of discussion and interest and has taken on a greater awareness and interest. We find comfort in knowing and acknowledging there is a being higher than us, someone who is divine, who watches over us and gives us hope. It’s what drives us no matter what confronts us each day and moment of our lives. For many, our love for God becomes the common thread that connects, binds, and gives us purpose.

Over the years, multiculturalism has brought on a heightened interest in religions which stemmed from Asia, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism to name a few, as well as our Indigenous spiritual beliefs. Why? Simple, because these religions awaken our spirituality, through its meditational practices. They create that oneness our souls crave.

In discussing the topic of this article, one phrase stood out for me; “no matter what our religion, we

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hold something in common.” When the editor and I were discussing which angle I should use in this article, that statement just stood out for me and boom, the divine spoke, this is the topic. What is that something in common? Our spirituality, sense of community, and love.

First, let’s understand what is spirituality? According to my guru, spirituality is that oneness someone has with their Supreme being and themselves. It’s the connection of their soul and the greater being which causes us to feel compassion, love, to be kind and to be true to ourselves. In a nutshell, to be a good person.

In reflection, I grew up in a dual religion home, my mom being Hindu and my dad being Presbyterian.

My teaching? there is one God. No matter what our religious persuasion, we pray to the same omnipresence. We may refer to him in different names due to language, Allah, Bhagwan, Yoruba, Dio but, they all translate to one word, God. He still remains that one Supreme being. It’s like the different way apple is said in different languages, pomme, manzana, sagwa, different ways of saying it doesn’t change what it is. Growing deeper into the essence of life, I came to this understanding. It’s like the many roads that lead you to Edmonton, no matter which

one you take, you end up in Edmonton. Similarly, no matter which form of worship you practice, it’s that one place you will reach, connecting with our creator.

Our desire to connect and be one with our creator is what we share and what connects us. The fact that we are all created by that one God, makes us all one in God and why this search exists.

If we examine the doctrines and teachings of all the different religions, you will realize that they all carry the same teachings. It’s just said differently. My mom once said, “God did not make religion, he made man and gave us guidelines to live with each other in peace and love. It is man who made religion.” If we all look into it, you will see.

All these are the principles by which man was told to live and all these are found in our holy books. They may be said differently, the lessons may be different, but the meaning and philosophies are the same.

So, this month, we have a very high level of deepening spirituality happening universally.

There is more reflection and awareness of self and those around us. There is that continued search for purpose, divinity, hope and spirituality because we all know, these will ultimately give a deeper meaning to life, Our spirituality interweaves us and inspires us to view our lives and how we live through different lens.

In my spiritual journey and growth, I soon realized that in several months we will all share some observances. Isn’t that an indication of our connection? Take for instance the month of March, this month there are many observances from different faiths. From March 2 to March 20 is the Baha’is holy time known as Ala meaning loftiness.

Bahai’s fast for this time leading to their New Year on March 21. According to an article in www.Bahai.

Org, the significance of fasting is to awaken man and this awakening “causes the heart to become tender and the spirituality of man increases.” Lent is also being observed from February 17 to April 3. In essence the entire month of March, many Christians, especially Catholics, Anglicans and Orthodox will be fasting, preparing themselves to observe the time Jesus was crucified. It is a time of prayer, abstinence and worship in order to deepen their relationship with God. On March 11, Hindus around the world observe MahaShivratri. They fast and pray as a way to purify themselves before the day. It’s a day to honor and celebrate Lord Shiva. Again, fasting is done as a spiritual act to purify mind, body and soul to receive the grace of God. It is also performed as a way to build their relationship with God. I could go on a little further into the commonalities in our doctrines. Yes, our holy books teach the same principles and give us the same moral codes to live by.

Love one another, as we want to be loved, do unto others as we would want then do unto us.

Honour your mother and father Respect the creation of nature around us To ourselves and humanity be truthful and trustworthy, be charitable, be kind and compassionate Have faith and pray You reap what you sow Be peaceful and slow to anger Do not harm fellow man Do not judge Forgive as you want to be forgiven and finally, live by the essence of our scriptures.

Lana Santana is the Founder and Executive Director of The Fort Saskatchewan Multicultural Association. Lana has been a journalist, politician, recruitment officer and a manager of an unemployment relief program in her home country of Trinidad.

She’s a volunteer, and aspiring writer of her first novel, a compilation of poetry and children’s books.

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relationships

CLOSING THE GAP

by Katherine Loranger

So here you are, in the first two articles in this series you identified your longing and discontent with your current relationship results, and you created your ideal vision or list of 50 things you’d really love for your relationships. At this point you may notice that there is a gap between your current reality and what you’d really love to create. A couple of things can be coming up for you right now. You might notice yourself feeling discouraged or even frustrated, or you might be feeling really excited and optimistic.

You might even be wavering in between these two ends of the spectrum. No matter where you are, know that you are in the right and perfect place and that this is what it looks like while it’s all coming together!

Today, I’ll be sharing with you how to cross the gap between where you are now and where you want to be, and how you can start to shift your relationships in the ways that you identified at the beginning of this series.

10. Connect to your vision. One of the most powerful tools in bridging the gap is to have a clear and compelling vision of the woman (you) in your vision. You want to really imagine how she feels, what she thinks, how she responds to her life.

What does she wear? What words does she use?

What is she thinking about when she goes to pick up the kids, or is doing dishes, or is interacting with others? How does she feel in her body? How does she treat herself? What does she say to herself? How does she interact with her children, her partner, her family, her friends, her clients, her co-workers, her stakeholders? How does she

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show up for herself? What is she focusing on? If you aren’t quite sure yet that’s ok, the trick is to be consistent with connecting to your vision, the more you do it the clearer it will get.

11. What are you focusing on? I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “where attention goes energy flows.” This is so true and it’s how the universe knows what interests you. There’s a great quote that describes how this works: What you focus on you find What you focus on seems real What you focus on grows What you focus on ultimately you become There is a part of our brain, the reticular activating system (RAS), whose job is to mediate or manage our overall level of consciousness.

There’s so much information available to us in any one moment that our conscious mind can’t possibly navigate or comprehend it all, it would be overwhelming! Our RAS filters out all that information and brings to our attention the things that we’ve told it to look for. So, if we tell ourselves “I’ll never find love, all the good ones are taken”, or “I can’t trust people or they will betray me” then our RAS is going to look for evidence to support that. That’s why it’s so important to get clear on what the woman in your vision is telling herself and what she believes, so you can start to tell yourself those things right now, directing your RAS to find evidence to support those beliefs.

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Navigating Fear. Know that as you embark on this process, it’s normal Sometimes being for fear to come up. Remember the honest with upper limit problem I with you last ourselves can be shared month? Fear doesn’t mean it’s impossible, uncomfortable it just means it’s something you haven’t experienced yet. You’re leveling up your internal thermostatic setting.

Make friends with your fear and know that everyone has fear, the only time you don’t is if you’re staying in your comfort zone. There is a difference between having fear and fear having you.

the things he was currently doing. So, she tried this, she started saying “thank you for taking out the garbage, thank you for walking the dogs, thank you for picking up the kids, thank you for making dinner, etc.”. She focused on what was already working and as you can probably guess, he started showing up differently as a result. She shared with me that she feels so much more supported by him and that their relationship is getting even closer as a result.

Next month in my final article in this series I’ll be sharing my own authentic and heartfelt experience in moving through a basic form of these steps. I sure wish I’d know then what I know now, that there is a faster and easier way to manifest the relationships I wanted!

13. Forgiveness. One of the things that can put a kink in the hose, so to speak, is if you are holding on to resentment, regret or anger. Remember, what you focus on will grow and what you focus on tells the universe what you want. Releasing any anger, regret or resentment through the practice of forgiveness is something we do for ourselves. Forgiveness doesn’t mean we’re saying that what someone did was ok, or that we will even continue to have them in our lives.

What forgiveness does is open up the flow of life’s energy to us, so it’s available to us as we build our dream and vision. And sometimes, the person we most need to forgive is ourselves.

Know that throughout your life you’ve shown up the best you could at the time with what you had available to you and that as you know better you can do better.

14. Gratitude. Expressing gratitude for what you love about your relationships right now is another way that you can tell the universe “Yes, I want more of this!” Gratitude also helps to shift your perception and re-calibrate your focus to one that is more harmonious with abundance, love and your vision 15. Repeat. Continue to cycle through these steps, as you do so you will gain even greater clarity on what you would really love in your relationships and you’ll be able to consistently start showing up as the woman in your vision who has those results that you desire. As you start to lean into these tools, hang on because this is where the magic starts to happen!

One of my clients recently shared an example of how this process is working in her life. After getting clear on the quality of relationship she’d love with her husband she tuned into how she would be showing up as the woman who already had that relationship. One of the things she realized was that the woman in her vision would be focusing on, and verbally expressing, gratitude to her husband for

Katherine Loranger, Founder, Katalyst Coaching As a certified Transformational Life Coach, Katherine helps people create full spectrum success and lives that they truly love living.

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p e r s on a l growth

EMBRACING THE STEPS UP THE MOUNTAIN

by Cindy Needham

I have always been fascinated by time, space and how we as humans fit in to it all. Right from going to the planetarium in grade school, I was hooked on learning about the sweet mysteries of life.

Over the past 30 years I have been exploring the relationship between the mind, body and spirit.

Throughout this time, I began to connect the dots and see the bigger picture. I started to see the precious and amazing gift that life is.

I believe that we are here to experientially learn who we are. What seem like random events, are moments in time for you to experience yourself. It is how we choose to respond to these events, that makes a difference in the results we get in life and the lessons we learn.

Breast Cancer Mountain Breast cancer is one of the most challenging events that I have faced so far in my life and that includes losing my mom, dad and granny at a fairly young age. Breast Cancer is an event in my life, that to this day, is still teaching me lessons about who I am. Let me share how this journey started for me…

After my call back mammogram, I was told to sit and wait for an ultrasound. That was when my Spidey sense went off and I felt fear wash over me. I knew

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that my life was about to change. I knew that it was going to be a roller coaster of a ride, but I also knew it was just an event in my soul’s journey. Every time I felt my body prickle with fear, I reminded myself that I couldn’t change the situation, only how I chose to respond to it. The moment the radiation tech called my name, I decided to stand tall, embrace my inner warrior and stare fear in the eye.

A couple of weeks later when I heard my diagnosis, I pictured beating breast cancer as climbing the hardest mountain I have ever hiked. I knew that with one step at a time I would get to the top. I was ready to conquer cancer.

One Step at a Time One step at a time is needed to get through a lot of dark, challenging moments in life. One step at a time helps you see, understand and accept what is in front of you, so you can respond to the challenge from a place of empowerment instead of fear. One step at a time helped me understand the rough terrain I was on. I couldn’t change that I was going through breast cancer, but I could choose to stay connected to my inner warrior and bring the light to snuff out the darkness of fear.

I will never forget the feeling of victory as I hit the top of that beast of a mountain. I felt like a warrior

through and through. My body was fatigued and battered, yet at the same time my spirit felt strong. I learned how all of the work I had done over the past 3 decades made a profound difference on my mindset.

Even though breast cancer was challenging me in every way possible, I still felt in control because I was handling the chaos from a state of empowerment.

After getting to the top, I realized quickly, cancer wasn’t the straight up and down mountain like I pictured. Dealing with the fallout from the surgery, chemo, radiation and hormone therapy was a crazy and intense mountain range all on its own.

Me 2.0 I chose to embrace the craziness by calling myself Cindy 2.0. I was the same, yet different and I was determined to figure out how this new version of myself was going to work. What I quickly learned, was the faith and mindset that got me through

treatment was going to be the same mindset that gets me through this entire journey. I couldn’t change the mountain I was standing on I could only choose how I wanted to respond to it.

Life sure does challenge us, and if we choose to, it will also expand us in amazing and unexpected ways.

I would never have thought that going through breast cancer would lead me to my life’s purpose.

Yet, it has.

Remember, how you respond to the events in your life shape who you are and determine the results you get!

Cindy Needham is the Founder of Thrive the Climb ~ Staying empowered through breast cancer and Author of The Pink Mountain ~ How to stay positive through breast cancer from diagnosis, to treatment & beyond.

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health and wellness

THE JOY IS IN THE DOING…

by Deborrah Hughes-Gahr

Eighteen years ago, at my very first pottery class, my teacher told me that the joy is in the doing. I didn’t know what she meant at the time as I was probably sitting at the wheel trying to get a fast-spinning ball of clay back under control! She also told me it would take a couple years of focused effort, many hours of practice, determination, patience and persistence to get to the “joy.”

and mind, is very good for you. I’ve taught adult beginner pottery for three years, and I’ve seen and experienced how creating art relieves stress, builds confidence, refreshes and brings value to each day.

Students come to class tired from the workday and immediately get caught up in the enthusiasm of the others. They sleep better after class, are happier and more productive the next day.

The first time I saw a pottery studio was a Christmas Sale at the Camrose Community Pottery Guild. After touring the studio, and saw the beautiful pots and wheels, I signed up for classes starting the following January. I was intrigued, it looked like a great opportunity to have some fun over that winter.

Don’t get me wrong, pottery is hard to do! Not rocket science hard, but hard in a way that tests your patience and determination, it’s frustrating like nothing else and one of the first lessons I learned was to be patient with myself and give myself a chance to learn something completely new. There were a million questions, many spectacular failures, mud everywhere and a lot of laughter.

Art as Therapy While I’m not an expert on art as therapy, I know the joy of creating and daily art habits have gotten me through some pretty rough times over the years. The art doesn’t have to be judged, doesn’t have to be shared, it’s just important to do it!

Before long I was hooked, each frustrating failure was a tiny step forward, and success was thrilling.

I grinned like a little kid when I finally managed to make my first small bowl. I told my Mom I was learning pottery, she said, “Oh good, you’ll learn patience.” and then we both laughed.

Humans of all ages like to make stuff and creating art, baking, writing, sewing, gardening, painting and all other activities that engage your hands, heart

Some class nights I was asking myself what on earth I was doing and how badly did I want to do this? Maybe I should have signed up for under water

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just for fun, for the sense of accomplishment and to learn a worthwhile skill.

I’m very lucky and grateful that I’ve learned from some of the best teachers in Alberta. They lit the spark, gave me the chance to build important skills and develop the mindset I have. They encouraged me, showed me “how to” a million times then allowed me to play and figure it out. Meanwhile I’ve also learned a few things about myself: I love to teach and empower, and I don’t ever give up. I’m still working on the patience.

I’ll always consider myself to be a learning student, as that’s important to be able to grow and develop.

I love to make useful, functional work like plates, bowls and cups then experiment with decorating and carry those ideas over to decorative pieces like water fountains and sculpture. I ask myself “ what if…” a lot and there’s nothing better than opening a fresh bag of clay, breathing deep and enjoying the smell of endless possibilities!

I’m hoping I can soon get back to my clay community and teaching, I miss my people! I love the quiet calm of my home studio but also miss the group dynamics and contagious energy of the classroom. I hope everyone takes their self-care in a new direction and starts a little art project, just for themselves, just for fun and to find the joy that is in the doing.

basket weaving instead? But persistence is key and 18 years later, I’m still having fun creating, exploring, and discovering.

The Benefits Part of the benefits of the arts to our mental health is also the community aspect. For me, there’s just something about the clay community; like-minded people who have mastered the same challenges I have. The majority of adult beginners learn pottery

18 years of making pottery to bring function and beauty to your home. Handmade pottery is her passion, let me help you with the perfect gift for every occasion- for you or for that special loved one.

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professional development

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT b y Ta r a B o o t h b y

Many business owners build a company not only so they can provide a service for the community, but also because they want to build a team. Leading a team is hugely rewarding and can be a win/win experience for all, just as providing a quality service to the community is rewarding.

However, the combination of running a business and leading a team puts the pressure on and over the years these demands will require you to evaluate your own character. It takes a lot of character to be an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is not built on intuition alone.

You may have heard it said that success may be gained but legacy is earned. People will say “there are no short cuts to the top”, which may not be completely true. Having a legacy in your company is only achieved by focusing in and building your own character. Legacy and longevity start with you as the leader.

When you own and lead your business, it can be difficult to strategize how to focus your professional development. It may help to consider how the topic you are learning builds into your own life first, before you see impact on your business and leadership. Good professional development is authentically embodied so that you can authentically apply it.

Professional development and character go hand in hand. As you seek out good learning opportunities, you will grow your character, and as you rely on your own character you will choose better and better learning events. What a lovely balance!

Here are four quick character focused evaluation tips for when you consider how to approach making a decision on your next professional development option: 1. Is this something you are PASSIONATE about? Let’s be serious, not every business training is going to get your heart racing, but every training can evoke a sense

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of passion for what this topic will transform in you and your company.

2. Does this opportunity align with your company’s PURPOSE? There are many amazing opportunities, but purpose takes priority. Casting your professional development net too wide can weigh you down, and distract you from the efficiency of building a purpose focused company.

3. When you achieve the goal of this professional development, will you feel PROUD of yourself? Feeling good about yourself as a leader is important. If you do not feel motivated to celebrate the success of completing it then why are you doing it?

4. Do you see the PLEASURE in this option? Maybe attending the training gives you a good feeling, or even causes your shoulders to drop and a smile to spread across your face. Maybe it gives you vision of future “YES!” moments for your company. Either way, choosing professional development that feels good for you will increase your learning capacity, as well as increase the likelihood of you applying what you have learned.

So now there is only one question remaining: What is your next professional development venture?

Tara Boothby is a Registered Psychologist and one of the Owners of Sojourn Psychology.

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finance

FIVE WAYS TO KEEP YOUR BUSINESS BOOKKEEPING CURRENT b y Ly n n G a g n e

Congratulations small business owner! You’re one of the elite 4,153,095 people in business in Canada!

According to Stats Canada, this is the number of companies reporting business income in 2018.

Alberta places number four on the list of provinces with the most businesses, only outdone by Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia. Kudos!

If you think about it, this is actually a lot considering the population of Canada hovers around 37,700,000 people.

People choose to go into business for all types of reasons. From the promise of financial or personal freedom to wanting to change the world for the better, businesspeople come in all shapes and sizes.

What is the one common thing they have in common?

Bookkeeping!

No matter what your business is or how you start, at some point you have to do bookkeeping. Some do as little as possible with bookkeeping to get by: they’re far too busy or it seems far too complicated.

For others, they want every single write off available to them to pay less taxes. Whatever the reason, and however much they choose to do or not do, the impact of mistakes made today will be felt tomorrow.

First, let’s define “being in business”.

You are “in business” when you report money on your tax return that you charged directly to the end

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consumer. When you make money without a direct employer taking deductions off your paycheque, you are considered to be “in business”.

Every business owner has some right to take deductions standard employees don’t have. You can use your company in ways that benefit your ability to make money. Or you can just claim the money and not use it. Either way, the needs all boil down to a tax return in the end. You can choose to pay more tax, or less tax, depending how much effort you want to put into the equation.

Not everyone is a numbers person. Canada Revenue Agency has rules and rules. There is no mandatory “How to be in business” course you must take before you decide to form a business, but the CRA fully expects you to know the rules regardless.

Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult After more 20 years as a Certified Professional Bookkeeper, I’m always surprised by how difficult bookkeeping can seem to many business owners. So surprised, in fact, that I decided to build my career on educating business owners on keeping their books, rather than just doing it for them.

Here are five particularly important things you can do to show success in your bookkeeping for your business.

1. Find out the rules of the game. It isn’t enough to make money. You also need to find out what rules you will be playing by and how much money it will cost you in taxes. It is SO worth a sit down with a

professional bookkeeper or accountant and have the conversation about two critical things: one, how you will pay yourself and, two, what are the tax implications of your business.

2. Find your CEO time. A fantastic business coach that I used to work with gave me a piece of advice I still follow to this day: find your CEO time. When are you managing your business? This could be creating budgets. It could be doing your bookkeeping.

Remember that every business needs cash flow, so factor in managing your cash flow into your CEO time. This could be an hour each week, but probably should be more like four hours a week. This is a critical step if your motivating factor is to make money. What gets managed gets measured.

Bookkeeping doesn’t have to be difficult. Since it controls the amount of money you’re making, it should be a priority for you and not on the back burner. Take time to incorporate these simple steps.

They can make a world of difference and keep more money in your pocket.

3. Don’t be an ostrich. One of the most critical mistakes business owners make is that they wait for tax season to find out what they should have done all year long. This is just costly to them for all sorts of reasons, including having to pay a professional for hours of work fixing mistakes that could have been identified much sooner.

4. An accountant is not just an accountant. A bookkeeper is not just a bookkeeper. They are your finance team and responsible for your financial wellbeing. They are not created equal. In fact, if you gave five bookkeepers your books, you would have five different results. If you gave five accountants your tax returns, you would have five different amounts owing. All bookkeeping and accounting is somewhat subjective and based upon the skills, knowledge and experience of that person. Find someone you trust, who has the right accreditation, and someone you “gel” with as a person.

5. Stay caught up and have a bookkeeping system.

I don’t care what your system is, whether it is electronic, on paper, or just sorted regularly, you should have a system. Making an effort to be caught up on your records and receipts, and I guarantee you’ll pay more attention and have better results.

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

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food

TO YOUR SPIRITUAL HEALTH!

By Monique MacDonald

I have a thing for spirits. No, not the haunting type.

Although, the ones that I am referring to, if abused, could come back to haunt you in more ways than one.

If you guessed that I am writing about spirits of the alcoholic variety, you are correct. My personal favourite is Cognac. On a cold wintery night, sitting by a fireplace, there is absolutely nothing better than a smooth and velvety XO French Cognac to caress and warm the deepest corners of one’s soul.

My husband begs to differ, he feels that a smokey amber single malt Scotch reaches further into his soul’s corners. I think he is biased seeing that he is of MacDonald “Highlander” descent.

With Saint Patrick’s Day just around the corner, the spirits inspired me to write about, well… spirits.

What qualifies an alcohol as a spirit?

To be categorized as a spirit, an alcoholic liquid or mash must go through a distillation process. This process ends up fortifying it more. The end result of this, is a distilled liquid made up of ethyl alcohol and water. It differs from wine and beer in that it is not

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fermented. Some spirits though, are produced from distilled wines, such as brandies.

My favourite, Cognac, can only be qualified as such if it comes from the Cognac region in Southwestern France. After it is distilled, it is blended and aged.

The great Cognac houses, such as Hennessy and Courvoisier, have tasting committees of welltrained people taste the distilled spirits before they are blended to ensure the highest of qualities.

I what I wouldn’t pay to be one of these people.

Who created the first spirits?

It is believed that Middle Eastern alchemists trying to create various medical concoctions were the first to perfect distillation. They would collect the vapors rising from the alcoholic liquid during the distillation process and called these “spirits”.

Even today, moderate consumption of spirits is believed to possibly offer some health benefits.

My go-to reference for all things related to the relationship between food, drink and health, the Mayo Clinic, states that “Moderate alcohol consumption may provide some health benefits, such as:

• •

•

Reducing your risk of developing and dying of heart disease Possibly reducing your risk of ischemic stroke (when the arteries to your brain become narrowed or blocked, causing severely reduced blood flow) Possibly reducing your risk of diabetes

While moderate alcohol use may offer some health benefits, heavy drinking — including binge drinking — has no health benefits.” (Oct. 26, 2019)

Which alcohols are spirits?

There are six recognized types of distilled spirits liquors: Brandy (Cognac, Armagnac, grappa, kirsch), gin, rum, tequila (includes little sister mescal), vodka, and whiskey (Bourbon, rye, Scotch). A seventh spirit, bitters, though not alcoholic, is often included when talking about these as they are an important part of any respectable bar. Think of all the delicious gin and tonic offerings!

In the Heartland, I found three local distilleries that you can visit or purchase from curbside: Hawke Prohibition Distilleries (Sherwood Park) The Fort Distillery (Fort Saskatchewan) Elk Island Spirits Co. (Sherwood Park) In the Edmonton area there is: Hansen, Strathcona Spirits, Rig Hand (Leduc), and Black Diamond (St Albert), just to name a few.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the majority of Hawke Prohibition Distilleries’ and The Fort Distillery’s staff are women, including The Fort Distillery’s distiller, Julia Le. They both shared below their favourite Saint Patrick’s Day cocktail recipes for you to enjoy.

SAINT PATRICK’S DAY KIWI MARTINI (Hawke Prohibition) Ingredients: 1.5 oz baby-X-vodka 1 large kiwi, sliced and skin removed 1 tbsp sugar cucumber tonic water ice Instructions: Add sliced kiwi into a martini shaker and sprinkle the sugar over it.

Muddle the kiwi and sugar to release the juices and color from the fruit.

Add baby-X-vodka and ice and shake vigorously to combine all the ingredients.

Strain the contents of the shaker and pour into the cocktail glass.

Top with a splash of cucumber tonic water.

Garnish with a kiwi wheel on the side of the glass.

Gimlet (The Fort Distilleries)

Ingredients 2 1/2 oz - premium citrus gin 1/2 oz - fresh lime juice 1/2 oz - simple syrup, equal parts sugar and water Instructions: 1. Add gin, lime and simple syrup to a shaker with ice, shake for 30 seconds 2. Strain into a cocktail glass or a glass with ice 3. Garnish with a lime wheel

And, as an added BONUS, Hawke Prohibition will give anyone who comes to the distillery 10% off for mentioning SHARP Women.

Have a delicious Saint Paddy’s Day and please drink responsibly.

Sláinte!

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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young entrepeneur

GO WEST YOUNG WOMAN!

by Carla Howatt

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It’s a story as old as time itself. Or at least, as old as Canada.

Intelligent and articulate young woman from Newfoundland leaves her eastern province with only her two degrees and three suitcases. She books a one-way ticket to Edmonton, Alberta and arrives in search of a career.

Like many before her, Lindsay Morey, the editor at Sherwood Park News, had gone west to seek her fortune.

I did the typical east coast thing, couldn’t find a job with two degrees… decided to book a one-way ticket to Alberta with no job lined up.

Before she made the decision to leave everything behind for an uncertain future, Lindsay lived in Corner Brook, NL. An only child, she fell in love with journalism while participating in a co-op program in high school. During this three-month program, she was able to shadow all the morning show reporters and learn the basics.

Lindsay went on to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical and Ancient Studies and French.

This unusual focus found her abroad for three semesters; France, Italy and Greece. After this, she went on to take a one-year Bachelor, Journalism through University of King’s College.

spent almost five years as a reporter and eventually the editor of the Fort Saskatchewan Record.

Time in the Fort

Her years in Fort Saskatchewan were full of weekends at the ice rink and at various events. “Once you’re dedicated to a community,” Lindsay explains. “You want to do the best you can to tell its story and preserve history and unearth the oddities that are So why Edmonton? Was it a carefully researched happening.” decision? No, it was pretty random actually. She had a cousin who lived there and a place to stay After about three years as a reporter, Lindsay took the leap and accepted the editor position. She is straight when she arrived. forward about her reasons for making the decision While she was still in the east, she had applied “I got to the point where I didn’t want to take any to work in Leduc but unfortunately didn’t get orders from men anymore,” Lindsay says. “And I knew the job. Coincidentally, they still had her resume I could do a better job.” She was confident that she on file and reached out to her once she was in had the dedication and the experience behind her.

Edmonton to see if she wanted a contract job to She knew what it would take, and she was willing to work in Wetaskiwin. Unsure where the town of put in the time and hard work necessary.

Wetaskiwin was located, Lindsay none-the-less Lindsay fell in love with journalism for a few reasons, quickly accepted the offer. but mainly because of the variety. It isn’t a repetitive Her response when that contract was up and job with the same tasks done over and over again they asked her if she was interested in being a and you spend all your days at a desk. It was this reporter in Fort Saskatchewan was the same love of change and the desire for a challenge that – she didn’t know where it was, but she was prompted her, in December of 2018, to apply for willing. Living in Sherwood Park at first, she the position of editor for the Sherwood Park News. eventually moved to Fort Saskatchewan and “I knew I could be the Sherwood Park editor better

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On a personal level, struggling with work/life balance is something Lindsay finds it difficult. “In larger areas… the Edmonton Journal newsroom… there is more support than in community news,” she explains. “For example, I was up at 10 last night doing an interview.” The news business has a different rhythm and cycle than most others; at the end of December, when most people are taking some time off, Lyndsay is working hard on the year in review. “I haven’t been home to see my family in Newfoundland since I became an editor” When talking about how she manages to find balance, Lindsay jokingly says that wine is how she copes.

In reality, coping includes spending as much time in the mountains or near water. Being in nature helps her feel closer to her home province. Feeling at home is important to her as she still struggles with not feeling like an outsider in Alberta. Her long hours have made being a true part of her community more difficult as she feels like she is always on the job.

than anyone in the region because I knew exactly what was happening here.”

This confidence in her abilities is evident when you hear her speak about her career but it is tempered with an understanding of how people perceive her. “… people think I’m younger than I am,” Lindsay explains. “They don’t give me credit for the years of experience I have.” She chuckles when she explains that at 32 years old, she still gets asked for identification when buying alcohol. In fact, Lindsay views her age as more of a barrier than being a woman in the business. With the exception of the odd person asking her out during an interview, she doesn’t think being a woman has made her work more difficult.

Challenges One thing about her position as the editor of a newspaper that she feels makes her job harder is how editors are sometimes treated by the community they are trying to serve. She uses the last provincial election as an example. “I received many death threats,” she explains. “No one goes into reporting to be slandered and to not feel safe in their own community.” Elections can be difficult for a newspaper as they work to achieve fairness and balance in their content, and it falls on the editor’s shoulders to make sure that happens.

Another challenge is determining what stories are actually important to the community. A lot of people approach her with what they think is an important story and she has to make the decision as to whether it is something worth taking scarce reporter time and column width to cover.

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So, what does the future hold for this transplanted easterner? “If I get the itch and want to do something new, if I need to be challenged, I will want to take the next step – to a bigger market.”

REGISTER HERE

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feature

PHOTO CREDIT: STEVE RICKETTS

A RELATIONSHIP WITH SUCCESS

by Wanda Rogers

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overseeing three community newspapers and a budget of $5 million.

Six years later, her career took another twist and she found herself working with Postmedia as the director of strategy and insights for the Western Region. She used her grit and skills of working on creating strong relationships to work into her final role with Postmedia as the National Director, Special Features.

Lessons Learned

If you are planning on spending time chatting with Stacey Lozinski, be prepared to smile. And laugh. It’s hardly surprising that people find her so uplifting as ever since she was a young girl, she dreamed of a career that would allow her to help and take care of people. With a passion for building relationships and finding ways to make people successful, her positive demeanor shines through. clearly a part of the reason for the success of her relationships.

After 30 years of bringing her people skills to the media industry, she is now geared to make an impact as the executive vice president of Catalyst Communications.

Publishing World Early on in her career she was encouraged in the publishing industry when she was working in what she thought was her dream career as an executive assistant to the executive vice-president of Western Canada for Sun Media.

She wasn’t sure what he saw when he told her he saw her in publishing, but time would prove him right.

Her next role was as an account executive for the Sherwood Park/ Strathcona County News. Not only was she responsible for driving a sales culture in her team but she also assisted the publisher. She rose in the ranks at the newspaper and soon, just as Craig had predicted, she was the publisher

Stacey looks back at her career with an appreciation for the lessons she learned working with great mentors. She’s worked under both men and women leaders over the years and has seen the positive direction that women in leadership is taking. “As women we need to build each other up” she says, remembering how things were when she first started.

She had her fair share of learning how to not compare herself with others and ignore the small inner voice of uncertainty that tell us lies. She’s seen how women have in the past struggled with being overly assertive and in some cases aggressive to build their careers. She’s been adamant of maintaining positivity throughout the ups and downs of life, always ready to pivot and take on new challenges. She wisely used the time working with these leaders to hone her skills and learn from their strengths and weaknesses.

Stacey’s daughters: Payton & Paige

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PHOTO CREDIT: STEVE RICKETTS

Authentic Teamwork

I love to champion businesses.

When Stacy had a chance to lead her own team, she remembered her early days and how it was tough as a parent, and quite frankly as a human being, to work in a strict, regimented workplace. She operated her team with the understanding that family came first and if you need time to take care of them, take it. Maybe she was too lenient, she reflects now, but the job got done and people were happy.

It is this authentic way of being within the workforce that makes Stacey so unique. Where many women struggle with being themselves, Stacey is unapologetically true to herself.

She seems to intuitively understand that when in the workforce, none of us leave the rest of our world at home. What is important to us at home is important to us and work and that includes family. In fact, she knew firsthand how tough it was for parents as she had started her family during her career. She has two daughters, Payton and Paige, who are setting off into lives of their own. She wants her daughters to know as they step out into the world that they should try their hardest and put their best effort forward. She wants them to experience being rewarded for working hard. She also reminds them to fess up when you make a mistake and have the courage to learn from those mistakes.

Stacey went through her share of heartbreaks, first navigating a divorce and then sadly the sudden passing of her father and her mother not long after. She doesn’t regret the hard times

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though and credits her parents for giving her the bravery to live life to its fullest. Nowadays, while in the midst of a global pandemic, she misses the dinners out at Sorrentino’s with girlfriends. But she says she has discovered the power of living in the now; spending time breathing, taking relaxing baths and not stressing about having everything planned out.

The Positive Side of Life Her sister and her have a Wednesday afternoon date at three each week via Facetime; they are reading books together and having an absolute blast. Stacey realizes that the time she is spending with her sister wouldn’t have happened if not for COVID and she is enjoying the ability to live in the now and not worry about tomorrow or yesterday.

She pushed herself into different careers after the media business started going digital. One she is most proud of is working with the nonprofit that hosted Orange Shirt Program, a program for the reconciliation and recognition of indigenous peoples and the horrific things they suffered in residential schools. She worked with stakeholders to host two large events in Alberta that saw record numbers of people participating. She was able to form great relationships and learn so much from the elders she worked with.

Now she’s come full circle. Working with Catalyst Communications as vice president, she is back at her roots of doing what she wanted to do when she set out in her working career; Helping people.

She is focusing on small businesses and nonprofits

in Strathcona County to make sure they have top notch marketing solutions to further their business and reach. Part of the way she helps businesses is by utilizing her huge network of contacts that she’s developed over the years.

In addition to the life lessons that she brings to the business table, her finely tuned intuition about how to best interact with various stakeholders is second to none. Her big smile, positive spirit and keen intellect stand out as key ingredients in her relationships and her success.

Wanda Rogers has spent 11 years in Human Resources Management and now calls Airdrie home after many years in Northern Alberta. She lives with her two sons, crazy cat, Siberian Husky and ex husband with whom she co-habitats to raise their childrenand they all give her all she needs to write about.

PHOTO CREDIT: STEVE RICKETTS

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leadership

LEADERSHIP PRESENCE

by Pauline Melnyk

I struggled to write this month, not because I didn’t have something to share or give, but simply because I struggled with my leadership presence. I think we have all been there at one time or another. My worlds aligned as I have been wanting them to, and for a moment I thought… what did I ask for?

When this happens, it’s important to realize that you are in a place to grow as a leader and as a human being. This is exactly what happened for me.

You see, often when we are working as leaders, we feel like we are doing it alone, and that no one else understands the journey we are on, or how passionate we are about the work that we are doing. Do my employees care about the business as much as I care? Can I trust that they will show up and represent me, my brand? Then, the question hit me and I began to wonder, am I representing my brand?

It hit me that this is where I needed to be truthful - authentic and real. Being a leader is hard, and can be lonely for a solopreneur, director, CEO, or general manager. The reality is I am not alone nor lonely. I belong to many teams. Not defined along the traditional lines, I live my values and blur the bounds of collaboration. I’m neither black nor white.

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Everything that I have been facilitating, hoping, designing, transforming is happening right in front of me, with me and for me.

We all know that the leader is the one who steps up when there is a void, it may be the formal or informal or unexpected leader. The emergence of a true leader comes from simple acts such as seeing that someone might need support and reaching out. Taking responsibility in part for just owning your role or position.

One of the responsibilities of the leader is to take our teams into the space where something can emerge that is greater than yourselves. Part of this requires really listening. Some of the work I have participated in at The Presencing Institute was around listening.

The Presencing Institute, was founded in 2006

by MIT Sloan School of Management Senior Lecturer Otto Scharmer and colleagues to create an action research platform at the intersection of science, consciousness, and profound social and organizational change. As I worked with the team, we listened deeper in a practice of extending space and growth in order to be fully present.

Another aspect of leadership is asking for and helping the team collaborate. When asking for

collaboration, each member of the team needs to add their voice and truly ask for what they need. This is where sometimes egos and agendas get in the way. As a leader, it’s important you don’t assume what it is the other person wants or needs.

Start the conversation with ‘why,’ then step in and be curious and genuinely connect. Know that if I connect with you, there is a reason. Do the discovery, set an intention to deeply listen; get curious, ask questions and don’t make assumptions.

As communication increases, judgement decreases.

Simply lean in, particularly where your worlds involve diverse, and varied disciplines. My intent is always to help people feel included, be treated as an equal and fairly. Working virtually means we are all responsible for having a voice and a place at the table. Everyone is responsible for helping create that space, not just the leader. Leaders need to let their team speak. A great way to do this is to take three rocks (or pins or pens or whatever you have handy) and the only time you get to speak is if you give up one. That means you have only three questions to ask, so you better make each question count. Give your team space, then let them do the talking and help them focus.

Extending patience and caring is not about graduating from the latest course in emotional intelligence or fierce conversations. It’s what you do every day, it’s the deep connection between your values and how you show up day in, and day out.

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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non profit

Vegreville Visual Artists (VVA) is a non-profit organization with 21 paid members. The organization was formed in 2014, with the mission to promote visual art in Vegreville and to encourage and support local visual artists. An ongoing goal is to become a destination for tourists interested in local visual art and to become a hub for artists of all abilities and aspirations. Artists in the group work with acrylic, watercolour, oil, pastel, pencil drawings, fabric, glass, and pottery. As an ongoing goal for the group, workshops are organized to encourage and support the growth of artists in their artwork.

VVA has become well known in the community, as a result of the shows, sales, workshops, classes, and art series they organize annually. VVA member artists have been commissioned to do various artwork in Vegreville such as the St Joseph Hospital mural, the Tourism Booth Door, murals for the nonprofit VALID’s board room, Sunshine Club and have also made photo boards for the Corn Maze and Christmas Light up. Canada150 provided a chance for VVA to paint shovel “heads”, with provincial flowers.

These can be seen in the Rotary Park in Vegreville. community-based approach and encourage respect of each tradition through education, participation and celebration.

VVA has organized and incorporated St Joseph Hospital “In House” Gallery, Vegreville Centennial Library Gallery and the Vegreville Dental Center Gallery. These galleries display local artwork on a rotational basis. vVVA has worked closely with the Vegreville Tourism Board. In 2019, an art walk was staged in various businesses throughout the town. Last year, due to Covid, the ArtWalk 2020, was a walk about town

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to 16 art posts, each painted with 36 small images.

Maps were given put at the Visitor Information center. All members participated by painting the images. Last year, with the Covid restrictions, VVA launched the initiative “Veg Rocks” where small rocks were painted by members initially, with pictures or messages and placed throughout the town.

This proved to be a huge success, as it encouraged families to take walks during the lock down, look for

rocks and replace them for others to find. Families began painting their own and hiding them.

VVA will continue to seek opportunities that will further enhance visual art in the community.

It is a rewarding experience for all to see the reaction and interaction of visitors and patrons, as they respond to artwork at shows or in the public area.

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