Every day I feel privileged to know so many incredible women in our community. Whether it’s my next door neighbors, my children’s teachers, my colleagues or the many local entrepreneurs … they are everywhere I look.
In this issue of Seaside Magazine we are celebrating International Women’s Day by showcasing women in business with our Sixth Annual Women To Watch contest and special supplement. From real estate to law and accounting to retail, women on the Saanich Peninsula and the Islands are providing local jobs, excellent service and innovative products. I feel guilty mentioning some women-run businesses and not every single one, so you’ll have to read through the entire magazine to meet them all!
Whenever I’m strolling down Beacon Avenue, or attending meetings of the Saanich Peninsula Chamber or Sidney Meet Up, I see more businesswomen who are creating value in our community. To me, it’s important to support women in business to help them achieve their absolute potential. Women are a growing force in start-up enterprises and they make up the majority of purchasing decisions; research shows diversity contributes to better outcomes in business and in our communities.
In The First Sex: The Natural Talents of Women and How They Are Changing The World, anthropologist Helen Fisher writes: “Women have many exceptional faculties bred deep in history: a talent for words; a capacity to read non-verbal cues; emotional sensitivity; empathy; patience; an ability to do and think several things simultaneously; … a penchant for long term planning; a gift for networking and negotiating.” We need to celebrate and encourage women in business. It’s not easy. Running your own business, as I know from Seaside, is always challenging. Sometimes you have the world’s best boss and the best employee. In many cases, both roles are filled by you! Opportunities will come – they always do. Trust yourself enough to jump at them. Never be afraid to go for it. And remember, you deserve to have the best life and the best career that you can have!
