Innovation is vital in any society to create new products, systems and ways of doing business. A nation’s innovativeness affects its GDP and fiscal well-being. Canada’s performance as an innovation nation has not been stellar, yet, it has great potential.

Read the full report here

As driven and connected young professionals (YPs), we are willing to bet that many of our Notable.ca readers know a female entrepreneur (or know of her) who is doing exceptional things in her field and for her community. Maybe she is your boss, best friend, girlfriend, sister, friend’s wife or a friend of a friend. RBC’sCanadian Women Entrepreneur Awards recognize the hard work, dedication and success of female entrepreneurs in a time where our cities are increasingly competitive and the economy is still far from thriving. Why not nominate this fabulous female? Here’s the criteria:

- She has a profitable business
- She operates a business that positively impacts her community
- Her ability to lead and innovate allows her business to thrive in challenging markets
- Her business leads the way for others to follow
- Her business generates an uncommon amount of economic growth and social change.
- She deserves to be recognized among the best and brightest entrepreneurs in Canada.

The RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards provide national recognition to Canada’s female entrepreneurs. This exposure offers increased visibility for them and their businesses, professional and social networking opportunities, and the chance to actively participate in for-profit and non-profit boards, government committees and industry associations. To date, over 19,000 women ranging from their early 20s to their mid-80s, from every sector of the economy, have been nominated for these awards.

Think beyond the typical when it comes to female entrepreneurs. With revenues ranging from $250,000 to over $500 million, there is a huge increase in the number of female entrepreneurs succeeding in ‘non-traditional’ industries such as finance, film, construction, oil and gas, and transportation.

Awards are presented in six categories: The Deloitte Start-Up Award; The Hub NKMB Impact Award; The RBC Momentum Award; The TPH Sustainability Award; The Trailblazer Award; and The PROFIT Award for Excellence and Entrepreneurship. Check the website for further information on the categories to ensure you select the best fit.

Remember, you only have until Friday to nominate! For more information, click here.

2013 Timeline
May 17, 2013: Nomination Deadline
July 29, 2013: Application Deadline
October 4, 2013: Finalist Announcement
November 27, 2013: Awards Gala

On Thursday, April 25th, Toronto’s Young Women of Influence evening series featured one of the city’s “it” people of the PR world, NKPR’s Natasha Koifman, who offered the crowd of YP ladies insight on the art of networking. As the owner and founder of NKPR, Natasha is well known in Toronto (and internationally) as one of the most influential lifestyle public relations professionals in the city. Koifman has built her career through hard work, time commitment, cultivation and, of course, networking (the significance of the networking element was something she didn’t realize until later). She attributes the creation and success of the influential Artists for Peace and Justice, for example, to the blending of her large network with that of Paul Haggis.

The YWOI event series offers a great opportunity for young females interested in networking, socializing and advancing their careers…and this event was no exception. The striking Koifman held the crowd’s attention as she offered valuable insight that was peppered with humour, raw honesty and colourful examples that left a lineup of eager women hoping to talk to her. In terms of networking, Koifman broke it down to five main points:

Authenticity
Connections must not be selfishly forged, but based on mutual respect and admiration, emotional connections and shared values. It’s simple – connect with people who you actually like, not who can offer you something. Koifman advises to pick and choose these people you want to develop relationships with (key word: develop) since they are a reflection of you. Acknowledging that things have changed due to social media, Koifman began to form relationships with media early, when she would send notes to writers, commenting on their articles that resonated with her. There was nothing contrived about it. This is how she formed a relationship with Deirdre Kelly from the National Post, who is now one of her close friends. In prepping for the talk, when Koifman asked Kelly what makes her a good networker, she replied “people often pitch a story, but with you it was always more about me than you.” Koifman reiterated this point; it must be about the other person and you should generally be interested in shared values, not who they are and what they do. What they do could change tomorrow, after all. She compared it to finding “Mr. Right” – you must think larger than the short-term goals. Authenticity is more than a buzzword. In short, work with people you like and if it doesn’t feel right, it is probably not.

Hard Work
Koifman is quick to point out that networking isn’t only about being outgoing and social. Don’t let it take over from actually working. Reputations in this city are fragile and you must deliver results. Hard work and a proven track record for success does not go unnoticed. For example, while in university, Koifman had a job at the popular boutique chain Mendocino. Two decades later, she was hired to do their PR, as she was told she was one of the best salespeople they ever had, knew the brand, and would obviously be the best fit for a PR person on the coveted account. This is proof that hard work, in everything from jobs to what you did in your twenties comes full circle. She advises to keep focused on the work and end result and never to let money motivate decisions – you’ll get there.

It All Comes Full Circle
Don’t have a short attention span or think of things in terms of short-term goals and immediate gratification when it comes to networking. What goes around in your early career comes around. Koifman referenced one of her first and biggest clients, CIBC, and the fact that she feared NKPR’s future when the company’s sponsorship team broke down. Instead, she grew her company three times as large in a year. This was largely through connections fostered in everything from personal outreach, to social events and sitting on boards. In terms of CIBC, she found that many of the former employees have found their way back into her professional circle today due to the mutually respectful working relationships formed a decade ago. “Pick and choose clients and connections, you can’t be looking for a quick return only,” says Koifman. A person who isn’t immediately strategic may be more strategic down the road. Just like relationships, sometimes the timing simply is not right at the moment.

Be Willing to Share Your Network
Don’t be selfish with your network. Give back to the network and give back to people who have helped you. Just like strategic and brand alignment when it comes to public relations initiatives, people can be connected. A good networker is able to connect all the dots, share relationships and use combined networks to propel each other forward. She advises to share “great clients, positive people, and positive goals with others.” Again, what goes around comes around.

Social Networking
From the start of her discussion, Koifman advises to be cautious when it comes to social media. “LinkedIn, like a Rolodex, means nothing but that you have their contact info,” she says. “The more connected we are, the less of a connection we have.” You need to be able to learn to use and leverage social media effectively. Through your online presence, she says, you need to provide valuable content, and it needs to be true to you. Don’t try too hard, and use it to express and explore your interests and to share with people who share your interests. She reminds us that, with social media, you are a brand, and to think in terms of how you want the public to see you. Things can come back to haunt you. Again, it all comes full circle. Your network is only as strong and connected as you are.  See full article>>

Watch here>>

“Don’t think about making women fit the world – think about making the world fit women.” ― Gloria Steinem, February 1, 2010, Yale University

Andrea Lekushoff, Founder and President of Broad Reach Communications.

When I was growing up, stay-at-home moms were the norm. However, my mother had the foresight that things would change and placed a significant emphasis on my education. In doing so, her goal was to help me find a secure job with great benefits and plenty of time off, like many of the teachers she knew. As a mother of two young children, it is only now that I truly understand that what she wanted was to steer me towards a career that would allow me to comfortably balance my work and home lives once I had children.

In just a few short decades, the workplace has radically changed. Today, women constitute nearly half of the workforce. There have never been so many women in leadership positions around the world. And there has never been so much talk about being a woman in business. In fact, there has never been a better time in history to be a woman.

Yet, many working women must still think about their other reality – managing their family’s life at home, And whether we like it or not, most women still manage the bulk of the work associated with raising kids and managing a home. So whether they’re working, caring for aging or sick loved ones, or furthering their education while they work, establishing the appropriate work/life balance has become a significant challenge and a reality for most women across the country and around the globe.

A recent LinkedIn survey entitled “What Women Want @ Work” revealed that women are more motivated by finding the right balance between personal and work life than they are by a high salary. Sixty-five per cent indicated that a flexible working arrangement would better allow them to manage career and family. A 2013 Pew Research Centre poll on modern parenthood found that half of mothers would prefer to work part-time and 11 per cent would prefer not to work. The higher the socio-economic status, the more likely the woman did not want to work full-time: one-quarter (25 per cent) of women with annual family incomes of $50,000 or higher selected full-time work as their ideal, compared to 75 per cent of fathers.

As a result, it’s not surprising that many employees are starting to embrace the philosophy that work is something you do, not somewhere you go. These employees see the increase in flexible work environments and virtual teams as a welcome alternative to the traditional one, and they’re losing interest in demanding jobs that require long hours, extensive face time and travel

Employers are recognizing this too, and are realizing the importance of meeting employees’ lifestyle demands. After all, attracting and retaining top talent is a critical factor in determining a company’s success, and employers know that flexible work arrangements make them more attractive to a wider range of professionals. These options may not work for every employer or in every industry, but they indicate the early stages of an exciting and significant workplace trend. This is a modern workplace issue, and it’s a good place to start discussing ways to “make the world fit women,” as Gloria Steinem said in 2010 at a Yale University speech on the history of gender relations and equal rights.

As I was launching my Toronto-based public relations agency in 2008, many senior women were walking away from their careers (and in many cases high salaries) at large public relations agencies because their employers were unwilling or unable to provide them with the flexibility they needed to balance their work and family lives. I knew I would not be able to retain valuable talent if I adopted this same billable-hour model that required practitioners to spend long hours in the office every day often working more than 50-60 hours a week. I also knew I needed to create a new and flexible work arrangement to accommodate my lifestyle (I was about to have my first child) and the senior level practitioners I wanted to hire who required more choice in terms of how, when, and where they worked. This is why I created Broad Reach as a virtual PR agency. And my associates and I have never looked back.

Although finding a truly flexible work arrangement can take time, and will work best in certain jobs and industries, these important steps are a good place to start:

1.    Define your version of work/life balance:
If you’re a student or just starting your career, think about where you plan to be in five or 10 years. Will you focus exclusively on your career, or do you plan to have a family at some point? If you’re in a relationship, talk to your partner about how you want to define your lives together. Do you plan to have kids? Do you have an aging parent who will soon need care? Does one of you plan to go back to school to further your career? How will you manage those demands on your time if you both work full-time, particularly if you both have challenging careers? If you’re married, many of the same questions will apply. Will one of you focus on your career while the other focuses on family demands? Or will you both continue to work and share the workload at home? You may find that you and your partner have drastically different answers to these types of questions – or you might be on exactly the same page. But you won’t know until you have this important conversation.

2.    Find a mentor who can help:
Research shows that women who have strong mentors advance more quickly in their careers and report high levels of self-esteem and life satisfaction. Mentors can provide importance guidance on what has (and hasn’t) worked for them over the course of their careers. They can introduce you to other influential women in your industry. And they can act as a valuable sounding board when you need someone to discuss your ideas and aspirations with.

3.    Talk to your current employer:
If you’re already working at a job you love, but you feel challenged by the lack of work/life balance, speak to your manager or human resources. Flexible work arrangements often aren’t communicated well by employers, but if you dig into your workplace policies, you may find that options do exist. And you’d be surprised at how willing companies are to be flexible when they want to retain talented employees. Be prepared with a few solutions, including a commitment to maintaining the same quality of work and achieving the same results. Propose a three-month trial period that will give you both the option to revoke the agreement if it isn’t working.

4.    Do your research:
An Internet search will uncover extensive content about women and work/life balance, as well as information on fields, industries and companies that offer flexible work arrangements. You’ll also find telling research on careers that place the highest time demands on employees and are now seeing women leave in droves. The legal profession comes to mind: instead of moving toward partnerships, women are leaving law firms to become in-house counsel at corporations or government agencies, non-profits or educational institutions, where the focus typically isn’t on face time or billable hours. As a result, women account for less than 20 per cent of partners in North American law firms.

5.    Build and leverage your network:
Use LinkedIn to your advantage to connect with women in a field or at a company that you’re aspiring to join. Traditionally, men have advanced in their careers by building strong networks and leveraging the relationships they’ve built. There’s some truth to the expression, “It’s not just what you know, but who you know.” Women could advance more quickly in their careers by doing the same, so start honing, building and nurturing a strong network today.

6.    Request informational interviews:
Arrange informational interviews with employers at companies you’re interested in. Ask questions about flexible work arrangements and try to uncover the realities of the demands at work. If they don’t already have flexible work arrangements, find out why. If they do, find out how successful they’ve been. This is a good way to get a handle on what’s happening in your industry and to compare one employer with another.

7.    Don’t settle if you don’t succeed at first:
Once you find an arrangement you think will work for you, try it out. If it doesn’t work as well as you had hoped, make some changes and try again. For example, you may enter into a traditional “flex time” arrangement with your employer, and find it far less flexible than you had hoped. The traditional approach to flex time often means working four out of five days at a reduced annual salary, and it sometimes means cramming five days’ worth of work in four. If there are red flags, trust your intuition and look elsewhere for opportunities that might offer more flexibility. Remember, the ultimate goal is to have an enjoyable career, bring financial prosperity to your family, and enjoy the ride with your loved ones along the way.

8.    Once you make it, lend a helping hand to others:
The traditional workforce is slowly being redefined by social change, with the help of advocates who are already enjoying the benefits of truly flexible work arrangements. If you’ve achieved balance, support your friends and colleagues who are seeking the same. Become someone’s mentor, so they can learn from your successes and from what didn’t work along the way. Spend time shaping your children’s – especially your daughters’ – beliefs about what it means to “create their all.” Teach them what to ask for and how to ask for it, and make sure they know they have the power to drive this kind of social change.

In 2011, Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer of Facebook and founder of Leanin.org, was profiled by The New Yorker, and famously said, “The No. 1 impediment of women succeeding in the workforce is now in the home.” That’s fine for those who want to place a significant emphasis on their careers. But many women believe that work isn’t everything. For them, it’s important to invest time and energy into both work and family. Don’t allow yourself to be judged by someone else’s definition of success. Be honest with yourself and define success on your own terms. And remember that success is all about the journey, which is defined by the quality of your life along the way.

Andrea Lekushoff is the founder and president of Broad Reach Communications. With over two decades of experience making clients look good through exceptional public relations and communication programs, Andrea has a track record of building strong reputations and creating business value for many of the world’s most respected brands. Connect with Andrea on LinkedIn, follow her on Twitter, or like Broad Reach on Facebook.

Laura Collins tells us about her day with Jennifer Carlson, President of Baby Gourmet.

A few weeks ago, I got the chance to spend a day with Jennifer Carlson, President and Founder of Baby Gourmet. Jennifer donated her time as part of Women of Influence’s annual Future Women of Influence Auction. With Jennifer based out of Calgary we arranged to meet up on a day when she was in Toronto to shoot a local TV appearance. As a media and public relations graduate, I was excited to see the behind the scenes experience of shooting a television segment.

Our day started with an early call time of 9 am; though Jennifer and her PR representative Shauna had been up since 6 am baking for the segment. After introductions, it was time to setup and this is where I saw Jennifer’s multitasking skills going into play. Answering my questions about how she started Baby Gourmet and arranging a photo shoot for the following week, all while making the crumble topping for the cooking segment. After that, it was a quick stop in at makeup and she made sure to steal a quick minute to call her daughter before being briefed by the show’s producer.

As a recent graduate confused with the career options before me, the opportunity to sit down with someone at a top level to just fire away questions at was awesome.

After a final check over her set up, it was time to air. I got to watch in studio as she acted as her brand’s spokesperson encouraging healthy eating habits for children. Incorporating one of her new Kids Gourmet products Squoosh, Jennifer made a healthy snack option, walking the fine line between promoting her product and sounding like an infomercial. Jennifer is very clear on what her brand’s message is and after missing one of her key messages in the segment, she and Shauna spoke about how to make her next appearance better.

 
We had a quick clean up and then left the studio to head over to a nearby coffee shop to talk over drinks. We found a table and Jennifer checked some emails on her phone. I used this time to think of what I wanted to ask her and what topics I wanted to cover. As a recent graduate confused with the career options before me, the opportunity to sit down with someone at a top level to just fire away questions at was awesome. I asked questions about personal goals, entrepreneurship, gender relations and company specific obstacles, anything that came to mind really. Jennifer answered them all, and then some. She was refreshingly honest and I could tell that she really wanted me to get something from each response. I’ve met with other industry professionals over coffees who have given me textbook answers but Jennifer was much more candid than that.

Most people would think that the Donate-a-Day experience is just about making a new contact but I found it so much more useful than that.

When asked about the difficulties in starting a business as a woman she explained being duped by men in the beginning and the continued battle to prove herself to her male counterparts. I asked about goals and she explained how she started the company because of her children and wanting to get the company to a place where she can enjoy being there for her children when they need her the most. Possibly the best story was her describing seeing her product on shelves at a major grocery chain for the first time and crying, then having the moment ruined by the store’s marketing execs being telling her she could not take pictures.  One of the many stories about running a business that you just cannot script.

The best part of our conversation for me was when Jennifer encouraged me to contact her afterwards. She let me know that any time I had a question or just wanted to run something past her to send her an email. She made it clear that I could, and should, use her as a resource moving forward in my career. Most people would think that the Donate-a-Day experience is just about making a new contact but I found it so much more useful than that. This experience not only connected me with a very successful business woman, it made me excited about my career again and that is truly invaluable.

Find out who you could spend a day with in support of this year’s annual online auction here >

May 13, 2013

It’s an understatement to say that we’re living in amazing times. In San Francisco, 25-year-old prodigy Danielle Fong just closed a $37.3 Million Series D funding round as chief scientist and co-founder of her company, LightSail Energy. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg has been an inspiration to aspiring women leaders.  These amazing women are true inspirations in the power of ourselves.

While stories move us forward, one core fact brings us back to reality. We live in a time of heavy glass ceilings and profound career paradoxes:

• Women are better educated than ever but earn 23% less than men on average.
• Women are equally qualified to lead by occupy fewer positions at the top.
• Education doesn’t necessarily translate into rewarding work or a stable future.

For women especially, the path to success, stability, and personal fulfillment  is confusing at best. Go to college, maybe grad school, get married, work for the government – it’s the safe way to live, but where’s the reward? How do you connect the dots between who you are and what you do? The answer is as simple as it is scary – jump ship from everything you’ve ever been told.

Discomfort Is Your Secret Weapon

I grew up with an amazing upbringing in a traditional environment. My parents both worked extremely hard – my mom was a secretary, and my dad was a labourer at the same place for 35 years. My parents’ dream for me was to get a degree and secure a job in government – work my way up, get a pension plan or 401(K), get married, have a family.

So I did it, and I did it well. I began my career in government. I was a homeowner by the time I was 23, and by 24, I was married. My life was the textbook definition of ‘having it all,’ but nothing felt right. None of it. I was living someone else’s dream.

The ‘dream’ lasted 3 years.  By 27, I was divorced and jobless. Regarding my marriage – I credit that largely to family pressure to marry my college sweetheart, despite not actually being self-aware enough to realize we had no romantic future. I don’t remember the catalyst for quitting my job, but I know it has something to do with bureaucracy and seeing no foreseeable ‘promotion’ or ‘next step.’

What I can say for sure is that the day I had no job and no marriage to fall back on was the day I decided to start taking more risks. Discomfort was my inspiration.

Lead  Naturally, Without Expectations or Fear

My next career move was a startup where I stayed for 2 years. I fully submerged myself in the moment – sparking a trend that would underscore the rest of my life. I’ve worked for small companies ever since – on the front line of all meaningful decisions. I do what I love without second-guessing myself – as it turns out, that happens to be the sweet spot between marketing, PR, and technology.

My most recent venture is Onboardly, an opportunity to create a viable business while doing what I love most: telling a startup’s story. I feel privileged to have had some early success alongside my amazing co-founder Renee Warren and to have had the opportunity to hire and build out a great team together.

I’ve been fearless in pursuing what I love. It’s worked out. I make my own rules and haven’t looked back.

You Can Have It All – Don’t Overthink It

Between kids, family, education, and employment, it’s no secret that women are under a lot of pressure. If you spend your life trying to cope with it all, you risk holding yourself back  – trapping yourself under a permanent glass ceiling.

Do what feels right. Try something outside of your comfort zone, even though it’s risky. Embrace the thrilling rush of doing something truly meaningful and not existing as a cog in a corporate wheel.

It’s something I learned the hard way – that ‘making your own rules’ is the key to success. Now that I know it; however, I’m living my  dream. My personal mission and vision is to do whatever it takes to help startups succeed while building an extremely full and happy life for my husband and me.

I don’t believe in work-life balance – rather, productivity and a work-life meld. I love every moment of what I do. I challenge you to achieve the same plateaus of happiness. It begins with something simple – a core belief in your talents, smarts, and future. Take a risk, make your own rules, and the rest will be history.

by Carolyn Lawrence | Photography by Miguel Jacob | Download Article

This South African-born, Calgary raised, Toronto-based woman of influence is a media maven, and she’s taking the entrepreneurial world by storm.

After building herself up off the ground as a divorced 31-year-old mother of four, with a high school education and bills she couldn’t pay, Dickinson took a big bet on herself and worked her way to be Chief Executive Officer of Venture Communications, Arlene Dickinson Enterprises and now YouInc, in addition to being an author, business champion for ScotiaBank and beloved face on CBC’s Dragons’ Den.

She may be known as the ‘Soft Dragon’ but Arlene Dickinson is anything but; she’s full of fire, blazing trails, shattering glass ceilings – even lifetimes – as she discovers her rhythm for success as a Mom, Grandma, Canadian, Entrepreneur and Dragon.

CAROLYN LAWRENCE: WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE OCCUPATION?

ARLENE DICKINSON: I don’t think about career and occupation that way. My favourite thing is life; I am in love [with life]. My favourite occupation is, frankly, living it fully.

CL: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?

AD: Not being afraid to do things that put me out of my comfort zone – putting myself into places I never thought I would be. I find that so exciting. I think living life is being in your own, being self-aware. Understanding and appreciating the moment, instead of just getting through [it].

CL: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST OBSTACLE IN LIFE?

AD: My greatest obstacle is myself. It took me a long time and I still struggle with it. I don’t know if this is a female thing or just a truth in general about human nature, but I still struggle with believing “I can.” I tend to overstate resistance, and exaggerate things in my mind [from] what they really are. I think that is because I’m pretty intuitive and I pay a lot of attention to other people’s perspectives, as a marketer. Sometimes I misinterpret that and turn it into a negative as opposed to a positive.

CL: HOW HAVE YOU WORKED THROUGH THAT?

AD: My dad used to always say, “Arlene, you would worry a lot less about what people thought about you if you knew how little they did.” That’s struck me as one of the best truths of life. In a world where we are inundated with news and facts, people don’t dwell on it; they are too busy living their own [lives]. So maybe you make a mistake and make a fool of yourself, but people will roll past it and move on to the next thing. You can’t be devastated by that. It has taken me years of seeing that the world didn’t end when I failed, and worrying more about what I think and less about what other people think about myself. That took a very long time. It wasn’t until my late 40s that I really started to feel more confident. And even today in my 50s I just started to figure out that it matters far less what anyone else thinks. It takes time. It takes feeling centered. I watch my kids, I feel like they are more grounded about who they are than I was [then].

My greatest obstacle is myself. I still struggle with believing “I Can.” I tend to overstate resistance, and exaggerate things in my mind from what they really are.

CL: GROUNDED MEANING CONFIDENT?

AD: Meaning sure of who they are, which makes me happy.

CL: WHAT DO YOU PERCEIVE TO BE YOUR BIGGEST FAILURE?

AD: You know, I have been asked that question a few times and I have probably given a different answer every time. It changes depending on where I am [with] myself, not because I keep making mistakes. I would say my greatest failure – it’s two parts – has been not understanding the value of time. You can’t buy it; you can’t make it. The other failure was lack of confidence in myself. Those two things combined are actually a very fatal combination. Luckily for me, I had people who believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. However, I wouldn’t classify them as failures; I would just classify them as learnings.

CL: HOW DID THE LEARNING OF HAVING YOUR LIFE DRAMATICALLY CHANGE AFTER YOUR DIVORCE PROPEL YOU IN BUSINESS, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WERE CAPABLE OF, AND TURN YOU INTO THE ARLENE DICKINSON YOU ARE TODAY?

AD: Necessity is a funny thing. It drives us to do things. I was taught, very young, to have a big work ethic. My parents were immigrants so I was taught work was really important,you worked hard and you had to rely on your own to hands and your mind if you want to put food on your table. When I didn’t have anything, I didn’t think I had anywhere to turn but myself. My parents came here with nothing. That’s a definer. It helps you learn values and helps you understand whose job it is. My mom and dad used to say, “Society owes you nothing.” You don’t turn to the world to take care of you, you turn to yourself. And I think that’s what did it. I always say I have nine lives. Who I am today is not who I was five years ago, and is not who I was 10 years ago. This notion that people don’t change, that’s not true. I have changed enormously and I am going to change again.

CL: ON YOUR WEBSITE, YOU TALK ABOUT “THE RHYTHM OF ME.” HOW DID YOU FIND THE RHYTHM OF YOU?

AD: The rhythm notion came to me actually through business. Because I could actually walk into my company and feel if we were busy or people were not happy. I started to really pay attention to that – this rhythm of the business, and be less afraid of the highs and lows of it. It’s been a true self-discipline to think about when am I happiest; what am I doing when I feel best. I gained some weight last year and I would wake up in the morning feeling lousy. It was self-fulfilling because then you start to believe you don’t deserve any better. I don’t know how many other women feel the same way, but for me, this is what I thought I deserved. So you start gaining more weight, you start feeling worse about yourself. In the meantime, since I am a public personality, I’m expected to show up differently, right? Showing up one way but feeling another. And that’s when I thought I’m not listening to the rhythm of myself.

CL: SO IS THAT WHEN YOU STARTED RUNNING AGAIN?

AD: Four times a week right now. I am training for the Toronto half-marathon. I don’t know if I will be able to do it, but I’m trying. The truth is – and we all know it – when you are well physically, your business is also healthier because you have more energy, you have more drive, you feel better, you feel stronger. And that plays out in your business.

CL: YOU’VE BEEN CALLED THE “SOFT DRAGON.” DO YOU THINK YOU ARE SOFT?

AD: No, I don’t think I’m soft at all. It’s very stereotypical, frankly, for that to be said, and I think it’s also men trying to understand my role without giving me any business cred. I’ve done some really good deals on Dragons’ Den.

I always say I have nine lives. Who I am today is not who I was five years ago, and is not who I was 10 years ago. This notion that people don’t change, that’s not true. I have changed enormously and I am going to change again.

My success rate is high and I feel very good about what I have built as a result of being on that show. I built a business out of that show. That’s [something] I don’t think the other guys have. They have built their business more strongly, but out of what I have learned, I saw the opportunity and the need in the marketplace and I am really proud of that. That’s not soft; that’s smart. And I don’t really care if they call me soft. They can call me whatever they want; I know what I have done.

CL: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST INVESTMENT RISK?

AD: Putting all my time, money and energy into my business, that was the biggest risk – and the biggest upside was that. I would say this to every women who is reading this publication: it’s wonderful to bet on someone else, but it is never going to be as good as betting on yourself, in terms of what you can do and making the most of your life. In addition to my role at Venture Communications, I am investing in Arlene Dickinson Enterprises and YouInc.

CL: TELL ME ABOUT ARLENE DICKINSON ENTERPRISES AND YOUINC. WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT AND WHERE IS IT GOING?

AD: Arlene Dickinson Enterprises was set up to help, in a unique way, what entrepreneurs are all about. Nobody thinks about entrepreneurs and their lifestyle. You see a lot of organizations talking to the professional side of an entrepreneur, and you see some talking to the personal side, but nobody thinks about it as a lifestyle. And it is a lifestyle choice; it’s not a career. It’s who you are. You either are or you aren’t an entrepreneur. You need to embrace the messiness. Nora Ephram said that; life is messy and embrace that messiness. This notion of balance makes me laugh. What does that mean? You stop thinking about work when you go home? Sometimes I would wake up and think about my business before I thought about my family. That’s what an entrepreneur sometimes does. I wanted to build a brand that embraced that, took the shame away from that and said this is who we are. If we can celebrate, collaborate, connect and share with each other, we will feel less like we are somehow lacking because we are not on the soccer field all the time, or we are not the perfect wife [or husband] at home. [I want to] help people feel more special and whole and elevated as an entrepreneur, and embrace the contribution they are making to our economy. I want to be the company and the brand that helps entrepreneurs through that journey. It’s exciting; I am very excited about it.

CL: SHOULD OTHER ENTREPRENEURS PUT THEMSELVES OUT THERE IN THE MEDIA – TO CONNECT AND SHARE STORIES – THE WAY YOU HAVE DONE?

AD: Fame – and I say that in a very small “f” way – for me is only good for the good it can do. Has it helped my business? You could argue that, if you are seen as an extremely successful business woman, then that works against you. In some ways what that means is you don’t need the help, you don’t need the support. So it’s a good and bad; it comes with a mixed bag. It certainly has given me a warm introduction in Canada. People love Dragons’ Den and I am so grateful for that. I would have never gone to Afghanistan twice, [received] the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal, had the chance to be the spokesperson for the Breakfast Clubs. How lucky am I that I get to talk publicly about the things that matter to me because [I’m on] a TV show? If [getting in the media] is going to give you the opportunity to do the things that you love, [you should do it]. If you are just looking for the fame; no. Fame is a double-edged sword. You have to be careful not to ever believe in your own publicity. You have to be grounded.

CL: WHAT OTHER TRAITS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE IN WOMEN WHO ARE AMBITIOUS ABOUT BUSINESS?

AD: I would like to see less women comparing themselves to their male counterparts and more confidence in the path they are charting. I think we spend too much time and energy playing in [men’s] playground and wondering why they don’t want to play with us. Women need to continue to push for more senior roles and for their voices to be heard and understood across all aspects of business. We need to continue to challenge the status quo, especially as it relates to women in positions of senior leadership and boards. I think incremental change is going to happen at an exponential rate, for women. We haven’t been in business that long; men have been in business for thousands of years. They built the financial market, they built business markets, they created commerce. Women have been doing it for, what, 50 years? And we expect exactly the same [results]. I think we are catching up pretty quickly. We have a long way to go, but we’ve got to put ourselves in perspective and build our own future. Don’t sit there and expect to be rewarded by somebody else, because I got news for you, life isn’t like that. So play your role, do your thing, be as strong as you can be. If it’s not working for you, find another option. Find your path and find your rhythm.

Join us as Arlene shares her story at the Deloitte Women of Influence Luncheon, June 7th in Toronto. Read more >

Between New York City and Toronto, Natasha Koifman, President of NKPR, finds the balance she needs to leverage a network built on authenticity and good work

By Carolyn Patricia Grisold | Photography by Patrick Demarchelier |DOWNLOAD ARTICLE

If you search the media for Natasha Koifman, you’ll find most results focus on her work – not the woman behind her eponymous publicity firm NKPR. And that’s the way she likes it. “My job is to get the brands at the forefront,” she says. “I make sure to [impart] a certain lifestyle that attracts and appeals to the brands we represent.”

Koifman’s personal brand is clearly defined; behind the signature black outfits, killer heels and coquettish grin is a powerhouse player who, over the past decade, has grown NKPR into the agency of choice for high-profile clientele across Toronto and New York City. There’s no ego around it; it’s just good work.

“Yes, I get publicity,” she admits. “But it’s publicity overall from a brand perspective.”

We’re having afternoon tea at Toronto’s Soho House, where Koifman is an Every House member and a welcoming, recognizable face. Cheekkisses at the hostess booth from fellow member and National Post societywriter Shinan Govani seem par for the course.

The exclusive club provides a perfect setting for networking with the city’s glitterati, and its vintage, relaxed style in locations around the globe offers comfort when Koifman travels. Which she does – a lot. Her February, for example, included trips to London, Manchester, Montreal, New York and Los Angeles – where she’ll soon be expanding NKPR’s fashion, beauty and talent divisions.

“You need to get outside of your day-to-day life sometimes,” she says. “It opens up your world in a different way.”

This exposure to other cities helps Koifman cultivate influence and keeps her on trend – a necessity for the company that created the IT LOUNGE, which takes place during the annual Toronto International Film Festival. Last year the celebrity gifting experience included an exclusive portrait studio with acclaimed fashion and beauty photographer Patrick Demarchelier.

I KNEW AS SOON AS MY SON JUSTIN WAS BORN THAT I WANTED TO BE SOMEONE HE’D BE PROUD OF. EVERY DECISION I MADE, WHETHER CONSCIOUS OR SUBCONSCIOUS, WAS BASED ON THAT.

“It was the New York mentality,” Koifman replies when asked how that came about. “I was watching Devil Wears Prada one weekend, which is one of my favourite movies, and that scene came on where Miranda says, ‘Get me Patrick.’ I thought, ‘We should get Patrick!’ So on Monday I went into the office and [asked the team], ‘What do you think about getting Patrick Demarchelier?’ And they were like, ‘We can get Patrick?’ I said, “I don’t know, but let’s try!’”

Leveraging her U.S. network, she got him. “That’s the difference between New York and Toronto,” she explains. “In New York everyone says, ‘That’s fantastic! Of course you got Patrick.’ But in Toronto they ask, ‘How did you get Patrick?’ It’s the difference between ‘Of course you can make it happen’ and ‘I wouldn’t even know where to start.’ I love Toronto [but] New York pushes me to make things happen. It balances me.”

Opening an office in the Big Apple was a natural progression for Koifman and it came about through an existing client relationship.

“We were doing PR for Ford Models here in Canada, and they were looking for an agency in New York,” she recalls. John Caplan, who at the time was Ford Models President & CEO, said he wanted to give Koifman the business because he liked what she did in Canada. Everything kept rolling from there. She went to her existing clients and said NKPR’s in New York now and she’d love to service them there as well.

A year later she opened up NKPR’s digital division, doing social media for a client across Australia, the U.K., the U.S. and Canada.

It was all networking, she says. “But it was networking not for the sake of networking. It was networking because we did really good work, we did what we said we were going to do, and that’s how word-of-mouth travels.” She cautions against the behaviours of certain social media users who – all schmooze, no substance – make connections without providing tangible results. “If you’re going to network, network based on what you do well. It’s the good work that you do. I think that’s what sets us apart.”

I THINK THAT’S WHAT [GOOD] NETWORKING IS. IT HAS TO BE GIVE AND TAKE. YOUR CAN’T ALWAYS BE THE TAKER. YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE TOO. AND THAT’S WHAT WILL MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL FOR YOU. IN AN AUTHENTIC, PURE KIND OF WAY

Since launching NKPR in 2002, Koifman has infused her work with authenticity and genuine talent, in turn building a clientele and network of supporters that have helped her agency soar.

“My first client was Visa Canada – leveraging their film festival sponsorships across the country. And it was through them that I got my next client, CIBC. Within three years, NKPR became their agency of record.”

Not bad for a publicity firm Koifman began in her basement when she was 31, living with husband James and her 13-year-old son, Justin. He’s in law school in Syracuse now, and on a recent visit home, Justin told Koifman how it’s interesting the way they’ve grown up together. “And I thought we did grow up together,” she says. “I had him when I was 18 years old – I was a child. I was in university with a baby. No one did that in those days.”

Before starting NKPR, Koifman was unsure of who she wanted to be, or what she wanted to do. “But I knew – as soon as he was born – that I wanted to be someone he’d be proud of. Every decision I made, [whether] conscious or subconscious, was based on [that].”

When it comes to networking, she maintains her values of honesty and integrity, focussing on mutual benefits. Referring to client and friend Carrie Kirkman, President of Jones Group Canada, Koifman says they support each other in all areas – it’s a relationship built on respect and admiration.

“I think that’s what [good] networking is. It has to be give and take. You can’t always be the taker. You have to be able to give too. And that’s what will make it successful for you. In an authentic, pure kind of way.”

With our teapots now empty and the Soho House filling up for dinner, I ask, lastly, if after all she’s built, her son is proud.

“He is,” she replies, thoughtfully. “What he’s seen is that I’ve worked really hard. He’s proud of me, but I’m also really proud of him. Again, talk about growing up together, we’re now at a place where we can say it about each other

Read more from Natasha Koifman on Personal Branding.