Ambition Theory: Rethinking Leadership in Construction

This episode of the Diversity at Work podcast is a bit different - I invited Trudy Dyer, Executive Director of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on the podcast – but we’re not talking about her, we’re actually talking about me, and how she saw this potential in me that I did not see in myself. She offered me an opportunity, and immediately my reaction was to say no, and thoughts of imposter syndro...

On this episode of the Diversity at Work podcast, we are talking about why you need to invest in yourself right now. The reasons why it is the best time today to spend time, money and energy on your professional development.  Today I’ll be sharing strategies you can implement right now, and these are things that my clients have implemented in the past month to help them get new clients, get new jo...

On this episode of the Diversity at Work podcast, I interviewed David Hudock, who spent 32 years in senior leadership positions in the Canadian Navy. I sat down with him to talk about what it’s like to lead in crisis situations, as we are currently navigating uncertain times. I wanted to learn from someone who has experience leading big teams during really challenging times. I was looking for a pe...

The world is a crazy place right now. I'm pulling back the curtain and sharing what I've learned one month into the Covid-19 pandemic and how I'm applying it to my life and my business. I'm talking about: - Mindset hacks that can keep you positive so that you can use your creativity to find opportunities to move forward and take action.  - Why I'm investing in professional development right now an...

In this interview, I got to connect with Jennifer Petriglieri, the author of Couples That Work: How Dual-Career Couples Can Thrive in Love and Work. I read her book in the fall, and when I was reading it, I have to say it was like Jennifer was in my head observing my life, and how my partner and I have made decisions about our careers and our relationship. If you haven’t had a conversation with yo...

On this episode of the Diversity at Work podcast, I sat down with Dr. Vanessa Sweet. She is preparing for the biggest challenge of her career, which is being on the front lines during the covid-19 pandemic. In this conversation we talked about how training your mindset has been a crucial part of her medical training. How to thrive in times of crisis and how imposter syndrome is showing up for her...

This episode of the Diversity at Work podcast is a very special episode. It is our first LIVE podcast recording that we did on March 4th to acknowledge International Women's Day. It was at an event called Celebrating Ambition, for diversity champions in the construction industry in Toronto. This event started because I was frustrated navigating the construction industry by myself. I met Jodi Mille...

Have you ever heard that saying "When you’re looking for a leader, all you need is to find someone who is one chapter ahead of you"? On this episode of the Diversity at Work podcast, I interview Tonia Szkurhan, who is a Canadian living in Rome, right now, in the middle of the covid-19 pandemic. We talked about how Tonia is pivoting her singing career, what its really like to be on lockdown for 18...

On this episode of the Diversity at Work podcast, I got to talk to Olethea Pimenta, a registered therapist who is the most innovative therapist I have ever met. We talked about fear in uncertain times and how the fear you are experiencing right now might be something you've already gone through before. She gave me a bunch of techniques to help reframe what is happening with your fear and anxiety s...

In this episode of the Diversity at Work podcast, I got to interview Jamie Deveaux, who is a chef and was recently on the Food Network show, Wall of Chefs which he won! We talked about food, and how slowing down in times like these is a great way to ground yourself and connect with your family. We also discussed how foodis such a good way that humans connect with each other through, and when we ar...

On this episode of the Diversity at Work podcast, I sat down with Pat Sweet from the Engineering and Leadership blog to talk about strategies around working from home. We talked about productivity methods and how to stay connected with people when you're working remotely. We also talked about stategies for both leaders and team members on how to show up for the people they work with and how to bes...

On this episode of the Diversity at Work podcast, I sat down with Ashley Maria and Lea-Ann Woodward Berst, a mother and daughter team who produced and directed the documentary Pioneers in Skirts. In this movie, they talk about women's ambition and the reasons why the gender gap really exists. If you've listened to my podcast for a while, you probably know that the gender gap is not a women's issue...

On this episode I interviewed Natasha Compton, who is a PR expert and owner of Be Curious PR. She and I talked about strategies to communicate with your customers and your employees during times of crisis. Natasha shared some examples of what you can do if you want your customers to be excited and keep buying things from you during this time of uncertainty.  We also talked about how to communicate...

Welcome to the Diversity at Work podcast Season 2! Today we are taking a break from our regularly scheduled programming and are launching a special season on thriving in times of uncertainty. It is March 23rd today and we are right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a leadership coach, I have a ton of resources that can help people get through difficult times. People are working from home,...

It's been a year since the Diversity at Work Podcast started, and to celebrate we're re-releasing our favourite and most popular episodes as we gear up for Season Two coming soon!!! Reva Bond Ramsden is the Dean of Construction for the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). After learning that females represented only 2% of the student population in the School of Manufacturing, she got r...

It's been a year since the Diversity at Work Podcast started, and to celebrate we're re-releasing our favourite and most popular episodes as we gear up for Season Two coming soon!!!  In this episode I chat with Fotini Iconomopoulos, who shares negotiation strategies that you can implement right away to get what you want at work. Fotini is an MBA professor, a keynote speaker, a consultant to Fortun...

In this episode, I chat with Darren Steeves owner of Vendura Wellness. With a multifaceted background in exercise physiology with athletes and health consulting in organizations, Darren's focus is on resiliency and building mental strength whether you are an Olympic level high-performance athlete or just a regular human.  Vendura Wellness utilizes evidence based best practices within Multi-Discipl...

In this episode I sat down and chatted with Sylvia Parris-Drummond, CEO of Delmore "Buddy Daye" Learning Institute. In this conversation we discussed how to best facilitate diversity and learning both in the workplace and in schools, and how to create a welcoming atmosphere for diverse populations in these places. Through her I learned about the details of the African-Nova Scotian experience and h...

In this episode I sit down to chat with Jenifer Hargreaves, CEO and founder of Tellent, an organization that brings together experienced female professionals who have evolved beyond the 9 – 5 work model to connect, network and find meaningful and financially rewarding work so that they can lead, live and earn on their own terms.  Jennifer is a business owner and master problem solver committed to...

In this episode I sit down and chat with Amy Marks, CEO of XSite Modular, one of the leading companies in prefabricated modular building and consulting. Amy created the position of prefabrication consultant,  defining the language and concepts used throughout the industry. Amy is a thought leader in both domestic and international circles, and has served on many boards and been a keynote speaker a...

On this episode we're pulling back the curtain and sharing how the concept of sponsorship is showing up in our company. I'm sharing the reasons why so many people said no to me in the early days of my business and the only way that I was able to land big corporate clients is by leveraging relationships.  A lot of people hate the word networking, and feel uncomfortable using the word sponsorship. I...

There are a lot of women who talk about gender and diversity in the workplace, but not a lot of men. Here's the truth about gender equality: it isn't about men vs. women. It's actually about creating workplaces where everyone can thrive and that means it's better for men too. Jake Stika AKA ' The guy that talks about gender' is the Co-founder and Executive Director of Next Gen Men. They create bra...

Sponsorship sounds amazing, but how do you actually implement it? How do you take this concept that nobody really talks about and use it as a tool to close the gender gap in the workplace? In this episode I’m talking about how you can get started and why the best place to start is at the top of the organization. The article mentioned in this episode was originally published on Forbes.com. You can...

Lorien Barlow began developing the documentary Hard Hatted Woman in 2013 and has since then interviewed dozens of tradeswomen from all over the US. The film is currently in post production and will be making it’s debut later in 2020. In this interview we talked about what motivated Lorien to take on this project and what she learned filming women on construction sites all across the US. Her bigges...

Steve Foran is the grateful CEO of Gratitude at Work, a happiness company he founded in 2006. Steve has been on the leading edge of gratitude based research, writing and teaching for more than 15 years. He is the author of the book Surviving to Thriving: The 10 laws of Grateful Leadership. In this conversation, we talk about mindset. It’s our default to see our situation from a place of scarcity w...