Powerful Women Magazine Spring 2011

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Page20

Powerful WomenWaterloo-Wellington Edition

Spring 2011

Ignite Your Passion for Success Magazine

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Page 12

Fighting fires among the men

If you can dream it,you can

achieve it

Success driven

Where there’s a will, there’s always a way

Cover photo by Judi Douglas, Stone Photography.

2 Powerful Women Spring 2011

Spring 2011 Powerful Women 3

2011

When I was teenager, growing up in the UK, my dad, a mechanic

by trade, owned a second-hand car sales business and later on a Kawa-saki dealership. Out of convenience, my Saturday job was to wash cars and polish motorcycles. During this time, I never really thought about the fact I worked in a male-dominated industry, and never had any inclination to follow in his footsteps, except for a brief phase when I rode motor-cycles to school. After two minor accidents, I decided it was time to hang up my helmet and take my driving test. Apart from a couple of stints off-road, I’ve never ridden a motorcycle again, preferring the comfort and safety of a car.

My fi rst “real” job was at a large print company as bi-lingual secretary, and again, I never thought about the fact that I worked in a predominantly male envi-ronment. Nowadays, the whistles and “cat-calling” that occurred every time I took paperwork to the managers on the shop fl oor would not be allowed. Back then, I just blushed, smiled sweetly and, rightly or wrongly, secretly felt a little special. Little did I know, every young woman that walked in the factory drew the same attention. Today, this behaviour, whether from males or females, is no longer acceptable in the work place.

Twenty years ago, I took a part-time job with a type-setting company where I got my start in the world of graphic design, another male-dominated industry. Al-though there were four part-time females and two full-timers, the workforce was predominantly male, and I would often fi nd myself the only female in a room full of loud-mouthed and bolshie males. One in particular used to swear and cuss almost every other word, and took great delight in very loudly passing wind. Neither I, nor any of my co-workers, had the courage to make a formal complaint for fear of reprisal or, worse still, losing our jobs. Not so today, at least not in Canada.

As women in a man’s world, that is, females work-ing in male-dominated environments or in jobs tradi-tionally thought of as men’s, we often face challenges, not least acceptance by both men and women that we have the required skills and knowledge and can actual-ly do the tasks at hand. The stories in this issue focus on some of those challenges as well as the achievements by women in a man’s world. You will be inspired!

Karen Coleman, Publisher

Women in a man’s world

Designed and published byKaren Coleman,

Kaz Design Workswww.kazdesignworks.ca

Contents

Available online atwww.powerfulwomen.ca

Computing for the geekaphobe:IT women. . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Recipes for success: Strengthening from the inside-out . . . . . 22

f

Regular Features

What’s Inside

Publisher’s Note: The views and opin-ions expressed in this magazine are those of the individual writers. If you have any concerns about any of the con-tent, please write to the publisher [email protected]

To advertise or submit an article in the next issue ofPowerful Women

call 519-267-5050 or [email protected]

Powerful WomenIgnite Your Passion for Success

One of the boys . . . . . . . . . . . 4Paving the way in

a man’s world . . . . . . . . . 5Success driven. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Common sense tips for

avoiding harassment. . . . . 8Challenging cultural norms . . . 9Where there’s a will,

there’s always a way . . . . 10Fighting fires among the men 12From the mall to PI . . . . . . . . 14Doing what comes naturally . . 15The softer side of money talk . 16Playing with the guys . . . . . . . 17If you can dream it,

you can achieve it. . . . . . 20


After an earlier successful run of retail ownership, I antici-pated a smooth transition when we purchased the existing hardware store in a local community. Armed with experience, skills and the energy required, it seemed perfectly logical to me that it would be relatively smooth sailing.

One of the boys

Kristel ManesGuelph-Wellington

Business Enterprise Centre

In the beginning it was, but what I didn’t count on was the very strong

undercurrent of accepted traditional ste-reotypes that already existed – that being the level of knowledge that women had and the role that it played within the very male-dominated hardware industry.

It didn’t take me long to realize that my bubbly, cute demeanour had absolutely no place in our manly store.

This became evident as I stood smiling at an incoming male customer, and even though he returned my smile so gracious-ly, he walked past me to my male coun-terpart. I was hurt, just like the kid who jumped up and down trying to be picked by the cool kids to be on their team.

The reality was that I was new to the store, new to the hardware business and what did I know about quarter inch drill bits?

It quickly dawned on me that if I was going to be on the cool kids’ team, I was going to have to lose my feminine wares, strap on the tool belt and get serious about playing in this sandbox.

A new attitude took hold, similar to a new recruit in training; I took the op-portunity (and the extra time on my hands) and started cramming. I studied metal and wood screws, mixed paint and matched colour samples; I examined

copper and PVC piping and made my-self very familiar with plumbing parts (I even knew what a fl ange was and what its purpose was). I was determined to make every cautious customer listen to my vast knowledge of priming tips, even if they only came in for a screwdriver.

It was often a battle of wills, but it was important for me to communicate that I was knowledgeable enough to answer questions intelligently, but also intelligent enough to know when I didn’t have the answers and be willing to ask for help.

I remained committed to the idea that knowledge was power and if I remained steadfast and determined in my learning curve, I would be more credible and earn the recognition and respect from my male counterparts.

Eventually, the ultimate compliments came when these same counterparts be-gan referring their customers back to me with full confi dence. I was also able to see that it wasn’t personal nor gender specifi c to any industry in particular, but rather a rite of passage that I had to earn by walking the walk and talking the talk and being able to pull my weight in all aspects of a traditionally male-dominated environment. It was with this bestowed confi dence, that this power tool princess had become “one of the boys”.


Asphalt is a conversation stopper. Really, what is there to say? It’s just there, everywhere. We only notice it when it’s in terrible shape. So when people are brave enough to ask what business I am with, I try to ease the moment with a quick explanation of what we do, to which I hope they can relate. Giving them a business card helps in the next phase for those brave enough to wonder “what on earth do you do in the company?” I am a decision maker, an investor, an entrepreneur, a partner. For most, it is a surprise.

Paving the way in a man’s world

Elizabeth DenbeighDriveway Restore Inc.

Yes, asphalt maintenance has tradi-tionally been a man’s world, but

once you get up close, you see that there are women throughout. A woman, along with her brother, runs the largest asphalt company in the country. A woman, and her brother, run a local company.

It is the assumptions we make that lead to the most interesting conversations. When our assumptions are challenged, our interest is piqued as our minds scram-ble to balance what we previously ex-pected with this new information. Some folks need a lot more information before they can achieve equilibrium. How? When? Why? It’s not a family business? Are you enjoying this?

Once others in the industry get past the surprise, they carry on as usual. The key is that they know that the person they are speaking with can say yes. People want to talk to the fi nal decision makers, the people who can say yes, regardless of gender.

Many women are the heads of house-holds, with or without spouses. They initiate the contact; they make the fi nal decision. Some have commented that they are delighted to be speaking with a woman. Again, assumptions are coming into play, past experiences fuelling our expectations.

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For my part, I am glad to be able to ease their anxiety. We all have our as-sumptions challenged regularly in all sorts of ways.

I have found that people have learned to adapt quickly and carry on seamless-ly. Barriers have been removed; there is equal opportunity. And I am doing my part in paving the way in a man’s world.

6 Powerful Women Spring 20116 Powerful Women Spring 2011

Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, Nicole was given a fi rsthand

look as to the hard work and dedica-tion that went into running a successful business. She jokingly shares that, while sitting around the family dinner table growing up, it often turned into a board meeting with family members discussing events of their day.

Nicole’s parents are the founders of Cambridge Centre Honda. As a young girl, she often found herself involved with the industry, whether working one shift per week or doing odd jobs. While she never had any interest in automo-biles, she did love the people and the

dynamics of the business world. She had dreams of bright lights, big cities and large companies.

After high school, Nicole graduated in business from Wilfred Laurier University. She pursued her goals and relocated to To-ronto, landing a fantastic job. Not feeling the satisfaction she had hoped, she then travelled to South Korea to teach English. From there she went to Hong Kong to help launch a non-profi t organization.

Nicole found herself being drawn back to her roots, so she returned home to the chaotic complexity of the business world and the vast number of interesting peo-ple who accompany it. When her father stepped out to retire, Nicole stepped in to take over the helm. That was eight years ago and she hasn’t looked back.

The majority of Nicole’s responsibility is to oversee her team of 42 employees, 14 of whom happen to be women. After interviewing a small group of them, I was informed of the change in the pub-lic’s perception of women who work in a predominately male environment.

Service Advisor, Cindy Adams, grew up with a great interest in automobiles and has been in the industry since 1985. She has witnessed fi rsthand over the years society’s changing attitude toward gender-based positions in the work place. In the past, it came as a tremendous shock to fi nd a woman in the service depart-ment, today it’s not so unusual. If occa-sionally confronted with an apprehensive customer, Cindy uses her vast knowledge and experience to answer their questions. Any scepticism in dealing with a woman

Determined, educated and driven. Her name, Nicole Pereira. Her title, General Manager of Cambridge Centre Honda. Y es, you did read this correctly. The boss of this bustling automotive enterprise is a woman.

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Success driven


is quickly diminished.All of these female individuals are

bright, self-confi dent and knowledge-able. They enjoy the gender split in their work place and have good relationships with their male colleagues. Nicole point-ed out that she does not recruit female employees. Hiring is based solely on, “the best person qualifi ed for the job.” The fact that she has acquired so many women on her team is a positive refl ec-tion of acceptance by society today.

Nicole feels that having a wide diver-sity of employees mirrors the customer base she serves. Smart thinking, and it works. Her commitment, dedication, and pride in her employees and the work they do is evident. She speaks very highly of the skills and abilities they possess.

Creating an enthusiastic, positive work environment has been a priority for Ni-cole, which it appears she has accom-

plished. The camaraderie among the staff was inspiring and the cleanliness of the facility, impressive.

All of these people are friendly, trained professionals and that’s how they hope to be treated. Do they have gender-related obstacles in their day? Occasionally, but don’t most of us?

Gender equality is levelling out, in large part because of business people like Nicole Pereira. She is a strong leader with high standards and has employed individuals not based on their gender but their character, skills and professionalism to represent her company.

As a young woman in the corporate world, things haven’t always been easy, yet she continues to overcome obstacles and move forward. To women thinking of pursuing a career in a male-dominated in-dustry, Nicole’s words of wisdom are that “passion must outweigh intimidation.”

Nicole Pereira (far left), General Manager of Cambridge Centre Honda, pictured with her team, from left to right, Tricia McIsaac (Sales Manager), Erica Oliveira (Sales Consultant), Brenda Gamble (Sales Consultant) andCindy Adams (Service Advisor).


Yet while we are accomplishing so much, striving to achieve equality

can sometimes be bittersweet. On the one hand, we feel the rewards of being rec-ognized for our worth. Yet, on the other hand, we still encounter prejudice and even harassment for simply being women.

Women are not to blame for being harassed by some male co-workers who are insensitive or perhaps even aggres-sive. However, we may ask ourselves: “Is it possible to manage and/or reduce unwanted advances or comments?” Here are some common sense tips that can be useful if we fi nd ourselves confronting sexual harassment at work.

1. Make sure our clothing is respect-ful of ourselves, our work environ-ment and co-workers: Writer Elizabeth Powell puts it this way, “If you worked

among people who believed stealing money was okay, I’d tell you not to wear your billfold on your hip.” So, if some of our male colleagues have diffi culty main-taining appropriateness, we may want to be cautious about how much we reveal. Try to avoid overly tight clothing, very short skirts and cleavage-baring shirts. Practically speaking, very short skirts can be a hassle in general (i.e. bending over, crossing legs, climbing stairs, etc).

2. Be careful how we interact with our co-workers: While being kind and out-going are positive attributes, fl irta-tious and “hands-on” behaviour may give those with improper motives too much of an opportunity for them to pass up. So fi nding the right balance between be-ing polite and not overly friendly can be helpful in avoiding unwanted advances.

3. Leaving the conversation: We may fi nd ourselves enjoying conversa-tion with our colleagues when it turns to inappropriate jokes or comments. In such a case, politely excusing ourselves will make it known we are not interested while still being pleasant.

4. Using discernment: If we are asked to remain alone after hours for no appar-ent reason – do not. Try not to be alone with anyone or in any situation that seems like a cause for concern.

There is no doubt that as women we areachieving great success in male-dominated workenvironments. We are successfully closing sales,managing our employees and strengthening the companies we work for.

Common sense tips foravoiding

harassment

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It is more commonplace today for women to work in a non-traditional role such as a me-chanic, landscaper, computer technician, con-struction tradesperson and other trades related careers. Men have dominated these sectors for years. Women are breaking ground; baby steps bring around change.

Essential skills for these trades iden-tify that women have the skills, abili-

ties and competencies required to enter into these sectors successfully. With these changes – women in non-tradition-al roles, in male-dominated sectors of our workforce – implications/issues are bound to surface; and they have!

Male-dominated sectors have a very dif-ferent cultural dynamic. What was accept-able may no longer be so. Women tolerated the abuse, the jokes, the banter because they wanted the chance to prove themselves.

With the introduction of Bill 168, these cultural norms have been targeted as un-acceptable. Bill 168 addresses violence and harassment in the workplace. How can women challenge the cultural norms of a male-oriented workplace?

Below are a few tips for success and a few tips on handling the harasser in the

workplace:Success busters for women working in a nan’s world

1. Be assertive – speak your mind2. Put your best foot forward – do the best

you can; everyone has down days even men3. You don’t have to prove yourself –

your skills, ability, and successes will do that for you

4. Focus on the successes not the failuresDealing with Harassment

1. Document each experience2. Tell the harasser to stop3. Speak to your supervisor, human re-

sources or other person in charge on the job/job-site

4. Ensure you understand company’s harassment policy and who to talk to

5. Be a role model6. Communicate openly and respect-

fully.

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Challenging cultural norms

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Empower Women everywhere to be the best they can be!


There was no question about pursuing my goals after my 18-year-old son Adam died from testicular can-cer in November of 2003. In fact, that year my son’s friend had also been diagnosed one month before him. Two young men in one school, less than one month apart.

We had never heard of testicular cancer and had no idea that it was

the number one cancer in young men be-tween the ages of 15–29 until we were told Adam had it. Our journey over the next seven months helped to make my decision about moving forward with ed-ucating young men about the signs and symptoms of TC.

Three years after Adam passed away, I quit my full-time job and opened The Canadian Testicular Cancer Association (TCTCA) despite the fact that I had never run a non-profi t charity before.

During Adam’s chemotherapy, we spent many hours discussing that some-thing needed to be done to help educate Canada, so my life direction was now set, but I had no way of knowing how hard it would be to get men to listen.

I remember the fi rst school health fair

I ever did. The young college men were walking by me and laughing. Not one was stopping at my booth for informa-tion. I had to do something aggressive to get these boys to pay attention. I stepped forward into the middle of the hall with pamphlets on self-examinations and just stood in front of them and said, “Please take a minute and read this over. It could save your life.”

Embarrassment was something I never experienced. I was going to get these boys to take me seriously before I left that day. About an hour into my new rou-tine, a young man stopped to look at our silicone testicles (they had four lumps in them). I was so excited, but that changed in a hurry.

He looked at me while holding the sili-cone testicles and said, “I was told that if you have more sex, then you will not get

Cheryl PerryThe Canadian Testicular

Cancer Association

Where there’s a will, there’s always a way!


testicular cancer.”His friends all began to laugh. One of

many jokes I would hear, and still do. Nevertheless, by the end of the day, I had handed out over 500 brochures to young men and felt I had accomplished some-thing!

Over the next few years, I would con-stantly be told, “What would you know about testicles; you’re a woman?”

My answer to them would be, “I don’t know what it’s like to have them, but I do know what it’s like to see my child suffer through testicular cancer and I do know how it feels when someone you love dies from a disease that no one wants to talk about.”

In any situation, cancer is a challeng-ing diagnosis. When focused on our younger male population, however, the impact of cancer is amplifi ed.

Several reasons have been noted as to why males may wait to seek medical at-tention when they fi rst experience symp-toms of the disease: lack of awareness or knowledge regarding testicular can-cer and its symptoms; misattribution of symptoms, procrastination; denial; mild-

ness of early symptoms; fear about can-cer; lack of perceived seriousness if no pain was present; the belief that a larger testicle makes a man more virile; and ma-chismo. This continues to be a battle for my staff and me.

Added to that is the challenge of get-ting new people to donate to your cause, because no one wants to speak on the matter. Nevertheless, TCTCA is going into its fi fth year and recently launched its fi rst National Campaign calledMANuary. Every college, university and military base across Canada received ourinformation for the entire month of January 2011.

Despite the challenges, we have opened a small offi ce in Toronto and an Atlantic division will be opening this April. Another mother will be heading up this project!

Although it is hard to get men tolisten, I believe that where there’s a will, there’s always a way!

Cheryl Perry heads up The Canadian Testicular Cancer Association in Kitchener and is the 2010recipient of the Waterloo Region Small Business Centre Inspiring Women Award.

LADIES, IF YOU LOVE ’EM, PLEASE ASK ’EM TO

CHECK ’EM.

www.tctca.ca

12 Powerful Women Spring 2011 Spring 2011 Powerful Women 13

But Jessica’s story diverges from most by virtue of what she does for a living.

Jessica is a fi refi ghter within the Region of Waterloo. With only three other female fi refi ghters on the trucks in her department, she is a bit of a trailblazer (pun intended).

When asked about the challenges of working in a male-dominated environ-ment, the Kitchener native tells it plain. “There have been some hurdles that I’ve had to overcome, and it’s been hard.” Jes-sica is referring to issues around how her maternity leave was handled, and how, from her perspective, the back to work ap-proach could have been vastly improved. “I am the second woman in ten years to have a baby within the department,” she states. After some preliminary action tak-en in opposition to the department’s ap-

proach to return-to-work (Jessica’s com-plaints were not around return-to-work training hours required, but rather how her shifts were handled, along with relative pay), the issue was dropped.

When asked about how she is perceived by her male coworkers, Jessica’s answer is once again delivered from the hip. “I will be proving myself until my last day at work,” something she doesn’t feel is typically experienced by the men. And then, in a matter-of-fact tone, “that’s fi ne, I’m up for it.” At just 5’5” tall, Jessica is compact compared to some on her crew. But she can do her job. She works out six hours a week to maintain a level of fi tness that ensures she can do the lifting required.

The upbeat 30-year-old is quick to counter the negatives with some of the rewards she faces. “The job is very chal-lenging and exciting; no one day is like another.” A typical week for the fi refi ght-ers includes a 24-hour shift, followed by two days off, followed by 24 hours on, and then four days off. When they report in for their shift, the crew is allowed two hours to check their gear and trucks and to work out. The entire day after that (until 8:00 p.m.) is dedicated to training. Fire-fi ghters engage in continuous education – whether peer taught or self-directed – in order to update and specialize their skills and to learn about the management of new equipment, techniques and hazards. And, of course, interwoven with their training is the multitude of calls that come in.

“I like the fact that we are helping oth-ers, and I’m passionate about being able to show respect and care for people living in this community.” When asked about the people she works with, Jessica states “I love the guys I work with on my crew. We get along great.”

Jessica’s inspiration to follow a career in fi refi ghting emerged early on when she spent some time working at a desk. She quickly realized that her personality

would best be suited to a more active job. This, combined with the inspiring sup-port of her stepfather, veteran fi refi ghter Captain Bill Duncan, motivated Jessica to pursue a career in fi refi ghting. In spite of a terminal illness resulting from his years of exposure on the job, Bill remains a dedi-cated member of the team as well as a con-tinued inspiration to Jessica.

Jessica’s words of advice to any women contemplating entering a fi eld like hers are simple: “It’s a hard job – not touchy feely. You need to be confi dent and have a sense of humour. There are obstacles you’ll face as a female. But you need to stick with it if you’re up for a great challenge. And having the support of family and friends is truly important.”

But Jessica treats this potential hurdle as just one more on top of the other challeng-es that are real for all fi refi ghters – safety, health risks and erratic work schedules. “We all have challenges that we face with our managers and coworkers, no matter where we work,” Jessica states.

One of the fi rst things Jessica revealed was that she likes to be presented with challenges and then overcome them suc-cessfully while maintaining a positive out-look on life. And this philosophy is appar-ent in the way she lives her life.

When asked if she is happy to hopefully pave the way for women entering into her career in the future, she replies “Yes. I hope that by fi ghting things I believe are a direct infringement upon my rights, I am helping those that follow in my steps. I want to encourage young women to dream big and do things that many others may not do.”

J i ’ di f

Jessica Niereisel is like any mom juggling a career and children. She worries about all the usual things – the health and happi-ness of her family, managing childcare, doing her job well.

Fightingfires

amongthe men

By Carolyn Parks, PresidentOutstanding Women Speakers

Jessica Niereisel, pictured here with her son, Jaxon, juggles baby with a career fighting fires in the Region of Waterloo.

Phot

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, Sto

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After trying her hand in the fi eld of dentistry and realizing her heart

wasn’t in it, Natoya Meikle quickly de-termined that there were bigger plans in store for her life.

When I initially met her a few years back, I would have never guessed in a million years that she would become a private investigator who specializes in labour disputes.

Natoya began working as a mall secu-rity guard and fell in love with the job; she advanced quickly to work for a com-

pany that now contracts her out to col-lect data to build up evidence for court injunctions.

Natoya is often placed in dangerous positions while working seven days a week, twelve hours a day amongst dis-gruntled workers who are on strike with-in their own company.

“Your life can be in danger at any mo-ment depending on the behaviour of the striker, but for the most part they all want to go back to work without a criminal re-cord.”

Even though she had fair warning of the long hours and the danger involved, Natoya loves her job and sees a bright future ahead, possibly working towards a career in policing.

When asked if she felt she was treated differently in the fi eld because she is a wom-an, she said, “I personally feel that there will always be some people treated differ-ently than others, however, I have learned that hard work does not go unnoticed.”

Natoya works extremely hard trying to fi nd the bal-ance between her career and her loved ones, but she stays focused on her goal to advance in her career, know-ing full well she has the love and support of her family and friends.

Natoya Meikle’s job as PI can take heranywhere in Canada. Here she is picturedat work in Voisey’s Bay, Newfoundland.

In a world full of careers geared towards men, once in a while a woman comes along who can slide right into a position that is normally perceived as a man’s job.

From the mall to PIBy Suzanne Couchman, Trade Secrets


Doing what comes naturallyBy Christopher Marlatt, Parametech Onsite Computer Technicians

During World War II, my grandmother was an army jeep mechanic and, for 20 years, my mother fought for pay equity in her occupation. So I suppose it is no surprise that I married my wife K irsten.

Kirsten is a director for an interna-tional trade show contracting com-

pany. She started in producing graphics and worked her way to director in nine years. Kirsten’s skills as a manager of people and projects as well as her organi-zation and motivational abilities are what moved her up the ladder.

I tell you this because when I see a strong woman, I do not see a “power suit” wearing self-proclaimed force de jour, rather I see a woman who took what-ever skills or passion she possessed and made those things work for her. Kirsten’s strengths are indeed more subtle than what one might expect from a strong woman in today’s society, but the subtlety is what makes her so dynamic at what she does.

Another strength (if I may say so) that Kirsten maintains is knowing how to talk to people. With three departments and numerous projects on the go, Kirsten must deliver a clear and professional message to others of what she needs and expects to get the task at hand com-pleted.

Kirsten’s industry is male dominated in that the labour force and much of the executive are male and while the company she works for is pro-

gressive, it is still to an extent a man’s world. Kirsten has worked hard to foster relationships and gain the respect of her co-workers, not such an easy task when most of them are “old school”. Don’t get me wrong, Kirsten has never been pushed around or ignored, but I myself have witnessed what happens when a cer-tain amount of testosterone is present.

I will not laud Kirsten for achieving what she has so far, because I know she is only doing what comes naturally, besides she knows how proud I am. If history does indeed repeat itself, then my daugh-ter is in a good position to move moun-tains, and for that I am very grateful.

Kirsten Marlatt, a strong woman who isdynamic at what she does.


As a woman, we have unique challenges when it comes to our lives and money. The f inancia l risks of living too long, dying too soon, or becoming disabled along the way, are very real f inancia l disasters that can happen to anyone at any time. Are you prepared? The female advisor is outnum-bered ten to one, but who do you feel more comfortable with to discuss your f inances: A male or a female?

It is risky business living. We need to work and create an income to pay our

monthly bills. Not being prepared for the worst is our biggest risk. In 2004, I left my paper-pushing administrative desk job to become an independent insurance broker. I had to share my story with peo-ple on how I lost my home-based busi-ness to a critical illness.

Female fi nancial advisors are very scarce but still very important to females. Many women have come to me with the frustrations of experiencing disrespect, and condescension, and feeling pres-sured and not being taken seriously when discussing their fi nances with a male. I believe that just being a female, I can eas-ily relate to other women with sincerity, patience and respect. My personal focus is to help ensure women have the knowl-edge they need to make a great decision

for any important life stage.Overall, we tend to procrastinate in

getting insurance sometimes until it is too late. It’s like running out to buy the fi re extinguisher when your house is on fi re!

Consider having some protection, which is better than none. Death and ill-ness can hit us anytime. Consider two very important risk management prin-ciples: do NOT insure what you CAN af-ford to lose; but DO insure what you can NOT afford to lose.

In life, disability or critical illness insur-ance is a must to cover lost income, and to pay business loans and expenses. These plans may also refund your payments.

To save money, consider working with an independent broker who does not work for just one insurance company. Insurance brokers can customize (like a tailor-made dress) a client’s situation by comparing all insurance companies, their available product solutions for your best coverage and price.

Business owners should consider pur-chasing registered investments through an insurance company that includes cred-itor protection options.

Consider putting your money to work. Insurance can take that risk away from you, so you can focus on yourself and your business.

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Margaret PennyfatherMarketing Network

Associates

There was a very narrow interval between the time when girls graduating from high school followed traditional routes and either went to university or worked until they got married, and the time when girls could have it all: career and mar-riage. Graduating in that narrow period of time, I went to university and I had a career.

I couldn’t stand typing, and I was three steps ahead of people I was supposed

to report to, so the professional route was my choice, and at that time, it was a male-dominated world because girls had never before worked in those jobs. I had gone to school with guys, more than held my own academically, and I thought nothing of working with guys as an equal. I was in the fi rst wave and the working world wasn’t ready for us. I was in the cohort of groundbreakers. Women’s Libber was the polite term. I didn’t think of it as such, I never thought of myself as a Women’s Lib-ber. I didn’t burn my bra, wave a placard or shout and demonstrate. I felt I had a right to work that used my skills, and was interest-ing and right for me, with more than equal intelligence, education and savvy. I was just building a career – and a life.

In the beginning, there were a couple of stints in the corporate world. What could be more “man’s world” than the corporate world? One was in a company where my manager managed to creatively keep me away from the corporate fl oor to ensure I wasn’t treated as someone provided for their amusement. The second was in a na-tional company dealing with a computer mainframe that seemed to crash on whim with the ensuing frustration and the asso-ciated paperwork, politics and a boss who stomped around muttering “god damn fe-male men.” I just thought he was even more of an idiot.

Being independent, I tried sales and found it suited me. My passion is music so

that is what I sold. I also sold the sound systems I designed, which involved site visits, often on construction sites. I had my own hard hat. The commercial audio busi-ness was male dominated. Let’s face it, sound systems really rate high on the list of ‘boys toys’ and to be paid to play with themall day can be a guy’s dream. Imagine:it’s 10:00 a.m. and you are standing on a dance fl oor...

I called on professionals such as engi-neers, architects and general contractors who had female colleagues, so gender was never an issue. They assumed I knew my job, otherwise I wouldn’t be allowed out of the offi ce. I soon proved myself and gained respect within the construction industry with a prestigious list of regular repeat cli-ents as well as with the suppliers within the commercial audio industry. In fact the commercial audio industry took me under its wing, keeping me up to date on the lat-est equipment and training right from the beginning.

There were some gender-based speed bumps that required swift creative mea-sures.

When I started in the job, there were un-dercurrents from some people (construction guys), however, either I was too dense to no-tice it or preferred not to notice it, focussing instead on the information I needed from them and the job that needed to be done. There were some guys who preferred to hear it from a man, so my boss dealt with them on large jobs.

Continued on next page »

Playing with theguys


Initially, the technical staff put up some resistance about accepting work from a girl, but as I was with the company from the ground fl oor and my designs and instruc-tions were so complete, the installations were dead easy, the seasoned technicians soon sorted them out.

There was something about spring; I got hit on at least once every spring by a client; usually someone not used to dealing with me. I didn’t “hear” it. I focussed on getting the order.

I was the company trouble shooter, in-vestigating situations and fi xing them and reporting back. I also trained other sales reps (male) and their reaction to my train-ing turned out to be an indicator of how long they stayed.

On one particular hotel construction site, the plans for the fi reman’s micro-phone called for a cable to be pulled from the fi re panel at one end of the amplifi er to the other. It was a long pull and the site electricians didn’t really want to do it, so they kept putting it off until construction was almost complete and it was almost an impossibility. I went on site with my chief technician, and told the electrical foreman, a Frenchman, what I wanted. He spent the entire conversation staring into my blue eyes without hearing a word and asked me to join them for lunch on Friday so we could talk about it. So my technician took over and in no uncertain terms told him to pull the “F-ing wire like I told him or the Fire Marshall would have his apparatus for bookends.” It was completed as directed.

There were emergency visits to construc-tion sites usually on days I decided to wear a good suit or a white skirt (of course). I have climbed metal ladders up the sides of buildings (in a skirt) to examine a roof. On more than one occasion, I was required to go on the rooftop of 20 and 30 storey build-ings with property managers to check out site lines and fi gure out just how we would locate equipment and route the cable. I stuck close to the door, not venturing too close to the parapet. I don’t do “up” very well. The views were terrifi c though.

Working with certain groups who run theme restaurants was a culture challenge. The routine was for the Technical Manager and I to travel in pairs, discussing the game

plan ahead of time. Our usual opener in our pre-meeting meeting was “What do you want me to tell him?” I would identify the problem to solve, estimate the price, dis-cuss the business side of things, and then the male restaurateur would look at Paul, raise an eyebrow and snicker, and Paul would tell him exactly the same thing and the guy would go along with it. In follow-up conversations with the customer, he would refer to comments my “boss” had made and looked stunned when I would point out that Paul worked for me, not the other way around. I did, however, get calls from the same person as he moved around the city from one restaurant to another.

There was a job in downtown Toronto that developed some interesting scenes. We were renovating a sound system on an en-tire fl oor of the TD Centre. During the site survey, the whole process was rather like “How many people does it take to turn up a volume control?” The answer: the Engi-neering Administrative Assistant, the site electrician, a technician and myself (with the drawings). It was a paper processing centre with acres of cubicles just tall enough that you couldn’t see people when they were sitting down, so you didn’t actually know there was anyone there. We turned the music on so we could locate the speak-ers above the ceiling, and suddenly there were people – they all stood up and cheered because there was music. We had to turn it off before we left, and as we attempted to leave the fl oor, there was a delegation by the elevators demanding to know when we would turn the music back on so they could have it to work with. It got rather heated so I was glad to be with male technicians.

When we had actually started the work on that fl oor restoring the system, some of our technicians were working in the restau-rant of a hotel a couple of blocks away near City Hall. We received a service call from the TD Centre, so the crew decided to use the restaurant lunch time to head down to look after it. They had found a really good parking spot at the hotel and didn’t want to move the service vehicle and as the weather was warm and sunny, they decided to walk down the side street to deal with it. They picked up a ladder, one on each end, and

Continued on page 21 »


Being in the Information Technology or IT industry has ex-posed me to the f lavour of what it is like to be a woman in a man’s world. I attended an all-woman IT program. This program was created to encourage women to go into IT not only because there were not enough women entering technical programs due to the “geek” stigma, but also, because it was found that women preferred to learn technical information alongside other women. Unfortunately, even when trained, women were still struggling to gain entry into IT fields.

IT women

Rhonda CozzarinHelpMePC

There are three issues women face when contemplating a career in IT: 1) the

negative “geek” stigma, 2) prior computer knowledge and 3) acceptance by their male IT peers.

Can we change this? Let’s start with young girls. There are fewer women now than in the 1980s graduating from computer-related programs. When surveyed, it was found that high school students had a negative percep-tion about computer-related careers.

Both females and males thought that com-puter careers were “too geeky”. The SWIFT Survey of high school girls in Vancouver found that there was a correlation between perceived ability and career choice. Female respondents believed that strong computer skills were necessary in order to be success-ful in the computer industry. Barbara Grosz from Harvard says that “they get the wrong idea in high school and we never see them to correct the misperception.” She and others are working to change this misconception by offering programs to high school students that show how computers can be used, that the fi eld isn’t just about programming.

If girls were exposed to computers from an early age, and were taught hardware alongside software by infl uential women, (in positive “geek” free environments), more females would enter IT careers. Wom-en will gain acceptance in the future of IT, based on sheer numbers.

Three tips to help women enter computer-

related careers:1. Talk to your daughters and sons

about computer careers. The industry is vast. Careers in the computer industry in-clude fi nding solutions to medical, engi-neering and other problems. For example, in Health Informatics, women can use their inherent integrative skills and human rela-tionship skills to bridge the gap between high level programming and the users. The same sort of skillset can make Management Information Systems more user friendly and increase employee productivity.

2. Let’s drop the ‘geek’ label. This la-bel only perpetuates the attitude that having some knowledge about computers makes you a social outcast who wears thick glass-es and wears a pocket protector.

3. Be a good role model. Update your computer skills every day. You can do this by challenging yourself to learn new soft-ware or learning how to do a hardware task.

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Sana is a 47-year-old mother of fi ve who had been a stay-at-home mom

for fi fteen years. In 1998, Sana decided to achieve her own dream. This didn’t come without its challenges, the fi rst of which was a language barrier. Sana was born in Jordan then immigrated to Canada in 1982 as a newly-wed.

What I found astounding was that she never took English as a second language class. She learned English through her children and their friends. When she went back to school, she completed a Computers and Business program through Open Door Adult Education, then, in 2007, she went to Liaison College for Culinary Arts. Her in-spiration for going into the culinary arts and becoming a chef was her son, Mohammed.

At the time that Sana received her Busi-ness Certifi cate, graduating with honours,

Mohammed was at Conestoga College for their culinary program. He suggested that she also go to a culinary program so they could open their own family restaurant.

“It made sense,” Sana told me, “I love to cook. I’ve always cooked for my fam-ily and friends... My children would always bring their friends over for dinner.” Sana’s love for food was clear, especially later on when we tasted her new apple pie. Her face lit up with a smile when I took my fi rst bite and was surprised by how good it tasted.

In order to learn as much as she possibly can about the world of food, Sana has three jobs and also does some catering, personal chef work and hosts some “Fun With Food” classes on the side. There were several challenges she faced in attempting to get work at all.

Even though Liaison graduates are in

As I sat down to meet Chef Sana Thibeh and hear her story, my mouth was watering from the smells wafting through the air. For one of her three chef jobs, the one at La Patisserie to be exact, she has been tasked to come up with 12 new des-serts for summer. The apple pie that was sitting in the oven was one such attempt at a new summer-time dessert, and I was going to be the guinea pig. The pie was a creation all her own, with a crust that was sour cream based.

If you can dream ityou can achieve it

By Laura Grafton, Freelance Writer

Chef Sana Thibeh, at home in her kitchen, as she waits for her new

apple pie creation to bake.


high demand, the fact that she was a woman made some chefs and employers hesitate to hire her. Even at work they didn’t want her working in the bakery section, because they felt that, as a woman, she would not be able to lift the heavy bags of fl our and sugar like the men could.

Some chefs also saw the head scarf she wears as part of her religion a health and safety violation.To deal with the complaints about her head scarf, she ties it back under her hat. “No matter what your nationality or culture, there is always a way to pursue your dreams.”

Her other two jobs are at Orchard Gour-met House and Trinity Centre. However, La Patisserie is where Sana has found her passion.

The custom cakes made to order at La Patisserie have given Sana a chance to ex-press her creativity while baking. It has also been part of the inspiration behind part of her goal. Within the next two years, Sana

and Mohammed are indeed planning on opening up their own bistro or cafe.

Having discovered her passion for des-serts, Sana wants this bistro to be a place where people can enjoy a good quality des-sert, “kind of like an up-scale version of Williams.” The bistro will also serve a va-riety of Middle-Eastern food, mainly soups and sandwiches. She wants the restaurant to represent who she and her family are: a mix of the Middle-Eastern and Canadian culture.

Another personal goal for Sana is to write a cook book, since she always is mak-ing up her own recipes and taking notes. After tasting her apple pie experiment and seeing her passion for cooking, I cannot wait to sit down at her restaurant when it opens and look forward to seeing her recipe book published one day.

After spending an afternoon in Sana’s presence, I too am convinced that, in Can-ada, whether male or female, “if you can dream it, you can achieve it.”

walked out of the hotel, south on the side street, through the First Canadian Place lobby full of business people, lawyers, and stock brokers, and out the other side and across King Street, carrying the ladder be-tween them, dressed in their grubby techni-cal uniform. When they had fi xed the prob-lem, they did the whole thing in reverse, walking across King Street, through the lobby of First Canadian Place and up the side street to the hotel. Not one person no-ticed them walking through like something from one of the old movies.

When I started to write this article, I was asked to make the article light and the an-ecdotes amusing. In retrospect, some of the situations were silly and you have to laugh. A sense of humour is regional and specifi c to the industry or occupation.

Attitudes to women in business did change over time and it got easier through the years as more women entered at profes-sional levels, and my reputation grew and I gained experience in the industry and in dealing with people. I developed a thick skin and selective hearing. I was the only female audio consultant in Canada. An ex-

pert in drive-thru systems, I also introduced in-store audio merchandising to Canada (Attention shoppers…). My apologies folks – it really does work. Commercial audio was fun. I met some creative people and learned a lot about what makes people tick. Audio guys are…unique; they are incred-ibly nice people and they tried very hard to help me. At one point, I inherited some locations from a competitor and I was able to call their former tech who had moved 1100 km away, and ask him where he had hidden a particular piece of equipment at a particular location. My male colleagues were equally supportive and inclusive. In any work situation, there are times when people are just people and of course guys being guys, I had to remind them there was a lady present, to which they always replied “Where?” In their eyes I was one of them, and there was no gender.

The whole experience was a huge growth opportunity and has put me light years ahead of other women, and indeed other men, in terms of dealing with people and simply focusing on getting the job done.

Continued from page 18.Playing with the guys...


by Dr. Erika Holenski, ND, KW Health Connection

The following recipe provides not only adequate amounts of amino ac-

ids but also soluble fi ber, calcium and B Vitamins to help you during the “crazy” times. To save time, I buy canned beans, but watch for EDTA and sodium content in the can. Look at the organic brands that do not have EDTA.

1 can chickpeas1 can lentils1 can kidney beans; white or red de-pending on the how colourful you want the end result¼ - ½ red onion diced1 avocado sliced½ cup dried cranberries; sulphite free3 tbsp unrefi ned olive oil

Juice of one lemonCilantro, minced to tasteGreen or red leaf lettuce, washedCeltic sea salt, to tasteBlack pepper, to tasteIn a large bowl, combine beans, onion,

avocado and cranberries.Add olive oil, lemon juice and cilan-

tro, stir well. Adjust oil and lemon juice to taste.

You can let this bean mixture sit up to two days in the fridge.

When you are ready to eat, place a few leaves of lettuce on a plate and place the desired amount of bean mix on top ofthe lettuce.

Enjoy!

Recipe s fo r Su cce ss

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Documents

Powerful Women Magazine Spring 2011