Conversations & Connections
One of our bloggers sent a piece to be published, but after reading it, I feel it is best placed here, due to the message. We never know where the connections/meetings of today will put us. It is so important that we have places to gather and create friendships and sisterhood because paths do cross for reasons.
It was at a ladies conference where I began a conversation with Rachel O’Rourke (who is now the CEO of SPARK). We became best friends and the support/connections we get from each other is amazing!
As you get more involved in groups, retreats, conferences and other events that are offered, you will see the value in those connections that began with a conversation!
Rachel and I a few years back
Here is Deb and I
It all starts with a conversation by Deb Lawson
Pretty simple really.
This is foundational advice I’ve used myself for years. It’s also an integral part of the mentoring and coaching I do.
Last year I retired from a 25-year career as a senior sales executive. Before that, I spent 10 years in service-based roles. Of course having conversations were the foundation of those gigs.
They are a part of EVERY gig.
I’ve always had the “gift-of-the-gab”. I’ve never been a shy-type gal. Always magnetized to people with same qualities. Authenticity is at my core; my gut a compass.
Enter Mollie Openshaw.
It’s a cool story of how we met.
Yup, it all started with a conversation. Not first with her though.
A journey led to her.
Here goes.
Through #girl-powHER a dear friend Jo-Anne introduced me to a gal in her network, also named Joanne (spelled differently). She was co-hosting an event about a “passion test” in Ottawa, Ontario Canada last February. While I was interested in the event, if truth be told I was at first more interested in skating on the Ottawa Canal, which was on my bucket list for years. So began the quest of facilitating passion and purpose. My daughter’s college roommate lived in Ottawa, so it was easy to gain a travel – and skating – companion to enjoy a mix of business and pleasure trip (a beautiful combination I might add) for both us.
I met Joanne and her co-host Lisa. It was a beautiful and brilliant day. What resulted was both a bright yellow vision board (now hanging in my home office) and the validation of my passion pursuits.
BONUS: new 2 amazing gals were added to my gal-pal tribe.
My daughter, her friend & I skated 13 km’s on the canal the next day.
JACKPOT BONUS: Sharing bucket-list experiences with your daughter is like icing-on-the-cake. Check, check and double check.
Lisa invited me to a conference in Mississauga she was speaking at in April. 30 min from my home, ya, I was in!
We seemed to hit-it-off (as the saying goes) in the 2 months previous; we were both inspired by our common mission of heart-centred leadership and giving back. That conference (Awaken Your Wisdom) afforded me the inaugural public launch of leaders2inspire and leaders2give at an external event, to share the work we were doing to #improvelives.
BONUS: two more amazing people added to my network; Guillaume & Trish.
Like most conferences, the true value comes in the informal networking, and yup, more conversations after the official event concluded.
This time over dinner.
BONUS: Lisa invited me to dinner with some of her fellow speakers.
JACKPOT BONUS: I met Mollie. (over dinner & wine; surprised?!)
I was already impressed with her speech at the event, and now I had the chance to meet her.
It was a natural, like-I’ve-known-you-for-years type conversation.
What has transpired since then has been nothing short of amazing, genuine, and purposeful.
So here I am.
One #happycamper. Check.
Partnering with Mollie. Check.
Sharing in her beliefs of giving back and doing kindness. Check.
Supporting women, whose mission is to give, live, and share. Check.
Guest blogger on Camp Midlife. Check.
Attending Camp Midlife in August. Check.
Adding Mollie to my gal-pal tribe. Check.
Bucket-list experiences. Check.
Time with my daughter. Check, check, and double check.
To think ……… it all started with one conversation.