YWAIT | Women Advancing Ideas Together

Host Kailey Armstrong has a conversation with guest Alla Brisky, the Regional Manager for Women in Enterprise at TD Bank, about franchising and how franchises are wonderful opportunities for entrepreneurship. Alla and her partner own a franchise in addition to her work at TD Bank. She breaks down why franchises are worth considering, how to finance a franchise, and the systemic barriers women in e...

Host Kailey Armstrong welcomes the CEO of YW Calgary, Sue Tomney, to the show to reflect on her leadership journey and the pivotal moments that shaped her career. Sue talks about courage in leadership, saying ‘yes’ to new opportunities even when self-doubt rises up, and acknowledges the mentors and colleagues who saw her potential. Kailey and Sue uplift women, discussing the unique strengths women...

Host Kailey Armstrong welcomes Tazeem Weljie, a consultant and advisor, and, as Kailey describes her, a “connector superstar”, to the show to talk about connections, community, and building a life with intention. When Tazeem was nineteen, she left her hometown of Calgary for nineteen years. Upon her return, she set an intention to have 100 cups of coffee to learn about Calgary, and through that, s...

Host Kailey Armstrong talks all about advocacy, specifically skills advocacy, with Andrea Cox, manager of Government Relations at YW Calgary. How do we stand up for ourselves and use our voices effectively? Andrea defines advocacy in this context as “helping people find their voice,” which can translate into women finding how to convey what they need from any audience member. Andrea has a wealth o...

Host Kailey Armstrong welcomes Naomi Brown, Senior Talent Manager at Neo Financial, to the show for a discussion on the tech sector and Naomi’s experiences within it. Naomi shares that one of the greatest things about working in tech is constantly learning because technology itself is always evolving and changing. She and Kailey talk about what to do if someone is interested in getting into tech,...

Host Kailey Armstrong welcomes Suzanne Ebelher, Principal and Managing Director of Mission Ignite Consulting and Senior Business Advisor at YW Calgary, to the podcast to discuss entrepreneurship. Suzanne has launched many businesses throughout her career journey, including a franchise consulting business, and her expertise is shared through workshops like ‘Vision to Venture’ at YW Calgary. She tal...

Host Kailey Armstrong welcomes Lauren Hutchison, the YW Calgary leader of women’s economic prosperity, to the podcast to talk about wellness in finance. Lauren explains that her view of financial wellness is embodying pieces of our financial stories that allow us to live our lives fully balanced. She highlights the difference in financial engagement and empowerment for women, which can be differen...

Host Kailey Armstrong welcomes Jessica Vandenberghe, Assistant Dean of Community and Culture at the University of Victoria and Founder of Guiding Star Consulting, to YWAIT | Women Advancing Ideas Together. Kailey and Jessica discuss Jessica’s journey through STEM education, obtaining her Masters in Engineering, her First Nations heritage, and why she founded Guiding Star Consulting. Jessica highli...

Host Kailey Armstrong welcomes you to YWAIT: Women Advancing Ideas Together, a podcast featuring interviews designed to inspire action. The bold discussions with leaders, changemakers, and strong women will be centred around entrepreneurship, economic wellness, and professional growth, aiming to create change. Join the conversation on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform and be part o...