The things I love about being a solo-preneur: the freedom, the flexibility, the opportunity to build something that is totally aligned with my values and my vision for how the world could be.
The one thing I find hardest: being on my own. I have found the lack of community tough at times. There’s no automatic ‘water cooler conversation’ when you work for yourself — and while some days I am grateful for that, there are times when I miss it. No holiday party. No team-building. No company swag. You get the picture.
However, over the last 7 years of being in business I have managed to connect myself to different communities full of like-minded people. For example, Engineers Without Borders Canada, where I learned about systemic thinking, social change, critical thinking, and speaking truth to power, and the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, where I practiced my pitch so many times I could rehearse it in my sleep, and met amazing business owners from all over the country who gave me so much support and solidarity I started to see myself stepping into the next chapter. The Professional Engineers Ontario local chapter welcomed me with open arms, and gave me roots in a city that was new to me at the time. Most recently, I was thrilled to meet so many thoughtful and wise women at Dr Michaela McClure’s Unstoppable You retreat.
One of my proudest accomplishments, though, and a community I was so honoured to join, was the nation-wide team of facilitators reponsible for delivering the Women in Science Engineering Technology and Trades (WinSETT) Leadership series. I was inducted in 2017 and felt instantly at home when I met my fellow facilitators.
[box] The WinSETT Centre delivers a series of professional development workshops tailored primarily to early to mid-career female engineers, scientists and technologists in science and technology based sectors. Graduate students and senior undergraduates have also benefited. The program has been developed by professionals based on the experiences of women in SETT and grounded in research and practices that work. In current delivery are: Becoming Leaders: An Introduction to Leadership Skills and Strategies Effective Communication for Women in SETT Negotiating for Success Navigating the Politics of the Workplace Networks, Mentors and Sponsors Emotional Intelligence Towards a Gender Inclusive Workplace ⇒ Over 135 Workshops and 30 Special Topics delivered in ten provinces as of November 2018.[/box]
The great thing about the WinSETT courses is that they delve into the research around gender issues and address their effects in a factual way. They don’t ignore the differences in the ways that men and women experience workplaces (especially SETT workplaces). They focus on practical solutions and strategies while still stressing that the women are not broken or in need of fixing (as is so often the accidental message sent when strategies focus on individuals instead of the systems or companies they work in). The conversations that result are deeply meaningful.
There is a series running in Toronto starting in January 2019 and there are still some spots available. Please check it out, and pass the information to anyone who could benefit from enrolling in the course. I would love to see some familiar faces in the audience.
And here’s to community! At this time of year especially it’s so important.